For Immediate Release                                                            Contact: Kristen Hawn (202) 226-9782
May 12, 2009                                    

Blue Dogs Adopt Renewable Portfolio Standard

Washington, DC - Today, members of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition announced the official Blue Dog Renewable Portfolio Standard for the 111th Congress.  Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT) and Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), leaders of the Blue Dog Energy Task Force, made the announcement as the group continues to engage in policy discussions aimed at moving the energy and climate change debate in a balanced direction.

“Federal policy should be flexible enough to reflect regional differences in our country, and it should encourage technological advancements without undue constraints,” said Rep. Matheson.  “The Blue Dogs want a reasonable policy that allows the power of the marketplace to achieve our energy goals.”

“These are commonsense guidelines, especially because they take into account the fact that different areas of the country are going to have different renewable fuel production capabilities,” said Rep. Barrow.  “The past couple of years have shown us that you can’t put all of your eggs in one energy basket, and these guidelines reflect that.”

Blue Dog members agree that renewable energy is an important component of long term energy security, and that the solution to ensuring fuel diversity is encouraging the development of sustainable sources of energy.  To that end, the Blue Dog Renewable Portfolio Standard states that federal policy should adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Achievable Targets: Unrealistic targets for renewable energy development will not help electric utilities deploy renewables more quickly.  Only 2.8% of electricity generation in the U.S. in 2007 came from non-hydropower renewable sources.  Setting achievable targets that include energy efficiency is an effective way to broaden energy source diversity and to reduce wasted energy.

2. Regional Flexibility: A one-size-fits-all federal mandate for renewable energy disadvantages specific regions of the country and could result in regional wealth transfer.  The standard should provide maximum flexibility to all states, in order to address regional energy production shortfalls and grid congestion.  A federal RPS should allow states the option of achieving realistic regional targets for renewable and sustainable energy development, as well as transmission of renewable energy.

3. Diverse Fuel Sources: A federal standard should allow for the participation of low-carbon energy sources, including nuclear, clean coal, biomass, hydropower, and waste heat. 

• Nuclear power is a sustainable, carbon-free energy source which requires a viable, science-based national strategy to manage nuclear waste. 
• Low or zero-emission coal can provide baseload power generation without dramatically increasing costs in some regions of the country. 
• A renewable biomass definition should be broad to allow public lands, agricultural producers, and private forest landowners in all regions of the country to participate in the new energy economy and contribute to the sustainable production of renewable energy.  

The full Blue Dog Energy Task Force membership includes: Rep. Jim Matheson, Chairman, Rep. John Barrow, Vice Chairman, Rep. Joe Baca, Rep. Sanford Bishop, Rep. Dan Boren, Rep. Leonard Boswell, Rep. Chris Carney, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Lincoln Davis, Rep. Brad Ellsworth, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Rep. Bart Gordon, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Rep. Charlie Melancon, Rep. Harry Mitchell, Rep. Collin Peterson, Rep. John Salazar and Rep. David Scott.

The fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1995 with the goal of representing the center of the House of Representatives and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public.  The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States.  Currently there are 51 members of the Blue Dog Coalition.  For more information, visit the Blue Dog Website at http://www.house.gov/melancon/BlueDogs/.