25 percent renewables by 2025

House and Senate concurrent resolution (is that like a joint resolution?) are calling for 25% of energy generation in the US to be provided by renewables by 2025. This is a re-introduction of legislation that first hit the floor last June but subsequently died.

A quick trip to 25x25.org will give you all the brief info on the goal and what constitutes renewable, who supports it etc. (even though they haven't put out a press release since Nov. of 06 - but maybe they're just a little tied up in DC to worry about updating their website...)

I'd love to see this go through with support from the red and blue sides but ultimately it seems a little conservative. Of course 25 is definitely better than a mere 11 or 12% - and if it is successful that will be a big step in the right direction, but it really just seems like some brain child of a clever press staffer - 25 by 20-25.

25x25.org talks a little bit about renewables but the prominent focus is about building support for the legislation and which politicos are behind it - which is probably good legislation 101, but it falls short of saying how 25% will be reached.

I have sneaking suspicion this 25% will be solely focused on mass-scale grid power, when it should really incorporate incentives and other efforts towards micro and distributed generation to take some of the load off of the main grid through renewables. There should also be a concurrent push to get big energy sucking companies to purchase renewables (proven possible by Whole Foods, NYU and the US military) which would help in the 25 by 25 goal - even if the legislation gets stuck or lost in one of the houses in Washington.

Via ENS