Renewable Electricity Standard: A Bipartisan Policy
States Lead The Way In Renewable Electricity Standards
In the face of federal inaction, states continue to lead in supporting renewable energy source such as wind, solar, and bioenergy primarily through renewable electricity standards (RES).
An RES is a market-friendly policy that requires utilities to produce a certain percent of electricity from renewable energy. Currently, 29 states and the District of Columbia have an enforceable RES, with an additional eight states having renewable energy goals.
Renewable Energy Support Transcends Partisanship
In addition to being effective and affordable, these standards have proven popular with Democrat, Republican, and Independent policy makers alike (see map below).
UCS analysis of which party was in control of the state legislature (House/Senate) and governor’s office when each RES was adopted shows that support for clean energy through an RES spans across party lines.
As Congress looks to find common ground amid increasingly partisan rhetoric about national energy policy, renewable electricity standards are a smart place to start.
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