EESI Event: Governor Tom Vilsack - "Energy Choices for the New Century"

		Governor Tom Vilsack
On November 16 EESI and Western Resource Advocates sponsored a distinguished presentation by Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa on "Energy Choices for the New Century." At the event, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (D), the first Democrat to file for presidential candidacy for 2008, said that biofuels have the potential to reinvent the economy, unite the country and increase national security. Vilsack told the packed audience at the University of Colorado Law School that Iowa is leading the country in corn-based ethanol and soy-based biodiesel production. "The impact of renewable energy in my state is nothing short of extraordinary," he said. "It means jobs. It means higher incomes for farmers. It means new industry that allows America to be more competitive." "I think I'm the one person in this race who's doing something about it," he said of biofuels. "There are a lot of people talking about it, but we've actually done something to promote renewable fuel."
He acknowledged the auto industry's concerns about raising fuel efficiency standards but said he wanted to double CAFE standards over the next 10 years in order to spur hybrids and hydrogen-fueled cars. "There are times when national interests are more important than parochial interests," he said. He also mentioned that the United States had to act to form secure energy supplies as emissions and global demand for energy rise (Catherine Tsai, AP/ Denver Post , Nov. 17). Vilsack's speech was cosponsored by CU Law's Energy and Environmental Security Initiative and Western Resource Advocates. He said states should determine where their competitive advantage in renewable energy lies and take advantage of it. "My state's windy and has fertile soil," he said, adding that Colorado might find its strength in solar power or switchgrass for cellulosic ethanol. Touching on the U.S. role in combating global warming, he said, "We could actually lead the effort instead of opposing it." Western Resource Advocates Director Jim Martin said Sens. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) have also been invited to speak. "As we move forward to 2008, virtually all candidates will be talking about climate change and energy independence and the inherent national security risk of importing 60 percent of our oil," he said. "We should be having this discussion and trying to influence it" (Todd Neff, Boulder Daily Camera , Nov. 15).