E-M:/ How About 20% Renewable Energy by 2008?

[David Holtz <dholtz@cleanwater.org>]

While state House Democrats timidly offer up modest 10% renewable energy requirements, and Senate Republicans can't break their addiction to coal and want even weaker renewable energy legislation, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell, in his State of the City address, reports on what the City of Grand Rapids has ALREADY accomplished on the clean energy front: 

* 20% of municipal power is generated with renewable resources. 

* A 10% reduction in municipal energy consumption since Heartwell took office

* 32% of city-owned vehicles operate using alternative fuels for all but the coldest winter months

* hybrid busses introduced into The Rapid's fleet

*The City Commission has committed to build only LEED-certified municipal buildings in the future. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green-building standard.

* LEED standards have been incorporated in Grand Rapids' zoning ordinance

So, Grand Rapids has already doubled the amount of energy from renewable sources that the Democrats are proposing in their energy bills and nearly doubled the energy efficiency savings called for in the Dem bills.  And Grand Rapids goes beyond all that with alternative fuels and LEED-only buildings.