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Senator Udall Introduces Renewable Energy Legislation

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Colorado Senator Mark Udall has reintroduced legislation requiring the federal government to enact a Renewable Energy Standard (RES).

The goal would be to have the nation’s utility companies producing 25% of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by 2025.

“And that helps drive the move from oil to renewables,” says Udall. “And I’m going to continue my support of natural gas vehicles and other moves to support the use of clean energy. But I’m also a realist and the truth is that foreign oil will be a critical part of our energy mix for a long time.”

Udall, along with his cousin and fellow Senator Tom Udall (D-New Mexico) first introduced the RES legislation in 2008. It’s similar to a renewable energy standard passed in Colorado that requires utilities to generate 30% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

President Obama called for an 80% Clean Energy Standard (CES) by 2035 during his State of the Union address this year.

Email: brian.larson@kunc.org