Press Release Archive
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Governor Culver Joins Midwestern Leaders To Sign Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord
Will Also Establish Regional Goals and Initiatives to Achieve Energy Security and Promote Renewable Energy
MILWAUKEE – Today, Governor Chet Culver, Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Premier Gary Doer of Manitoba signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord. Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, Governor M. Michael Rounds of South Dakota, and Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana signed onto the agreement as observers.
The historic agreement, signed at the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) Energy Security and Climate Change Summit held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will serve as a regional strategy to achieve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
The Accord will:
- Establish greenhouse gas reduction targets and timeframes consistent with MGA member states’ targets;
- Develop a market-based and multi-sector cap-and-trade mechanism to help achieve those reduction targets;
- Establish a system to enable tracking, management and crediting for entities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
- Develop and implement additional steps as needed to achieve the reduction targets, such as a low-carbon fuel standards and regional incentives and funding mechanisms.
“I am very pleased Democratic and Republican Midwest Governors, along with Premier Doer of Manitoba, were able to come together to support such and worthy goal,” said Governor Culver. “The threat of global warming is real and it is our responsibility to take steps to reduce greenhouse gasses. The search for new forms of clean, renewable energy is underway in Iowa with the creation of the Power Fund and the first-ever Iowa Office of Energy Independence. Iowa’s leadership in renewable energy, combined with our strong manufacturing base makes us perfectly situated to become the renewable energy capital of the nation.”
Within the next year, governors and other participating jurisdictional leaders will establish targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions and complete development of proposed cap-and-trade system. Targets will be consistent with the 60 to 80 percent recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Full implementation of the accord will be completed within 30 months.
As part of the summit, the Midwestern states, including Nebraska and North Dakota, also adopted an Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Platform. The platform establishes shared goals for the Midwest region, including specific timelines for the advance of energy efficiency, the promotion of biobased products, the production of renewable electricity and the development of advance coal and carbon capture and storage.
To support these shared goals, the Midwestern states launched new cooperative regional initiatives to address the following:
- CO2 management to create a regional transportation and storage infrastructure;
- A bioproduct procurement program to support the growth of the region’s bioeconomy;
- Electricity transmission adequacy to support thousands of new megawatts of wind energy;
- Renewable fuels corridors and coordinated signage to promote renewable fuel usage across the Midwest;
- Advanced bioenergy permitting to assist states with the latest technologies; and
- Low-carbon energy transmission infrastructure that will provide a cost-effective way to supply the Midwest with sustainable and environmentally responsible energy.
Midwestern states are leading the nation in the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. The Midwest boasts world-class renewable energy resources that support rapidly growing wind energy, corn ethanol and biodiesel industries, and has the potential for robust cellulosic biomass and solar industries.
In May 2007, Governor Culver signed into law the creation of the $100 million Iowa Power Fund. This innovative, forward-thinking fund will invest $100 million into renewable energy research and development and keep Iowa on the cutting edge of all forms of renewable energy, including biofuels, hydro, geothermal, solar and wind energy.
The legislation also created the first-ever Iowa Office of Energy Independence, headed up by Roya Stanley. This office is focused entirely on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
In April 2007, Governor Culver signed SF 485, a bill creating the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council to consider and determine the best strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state. This bill will also enable the state to collect data on greenhouse gas emissions through licensing of electric power generating facilities and reporting by other producers of greenhouse gases. A part of the Governor’s strategy on protecting our environment, SF 485 will develop a blueprint for Iowa lawmakers to help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
The Midwestern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord builds on existing greenhouse gas reduction efforts in each state as well as three existing regional efforts. In 2003, California, Oregon, and Washington created the West Coast Global Warming Initiative; in 2006, Arizona and New Mexico launched the Southwest Climate Change Initiative; and in February of 2007, Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington launched the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative.