A bright idea
Congressman Adam Schiff’s latest bill would bring green power to Washington
By Joe Piasecki 01/29/2009
That many believe a new day is dawning for America was apparent with the overwhelmingly positive local response to the inauguration of President Barack Obama, who has promised to put the fight against global warming high among his new administration’s priorities.
But a new energy policy for the government itself — switching from coal-generated power to renewable sources of electricity for federal offices — may ultimately be the work of Pasadena Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, co-sponsor of a bill that would allow the federal government, which spends more than $10 billion on power each year, to purchase large amounts of solar- and wind-generated energy.
House Resolution 175, introduced by Schiff and Arizona Democrat Gabrielle Giffords, would allow the General Services Administration to purchase more green energy by extending the length of energy contracts from 10 to 30 years, according to a statement from Schiff’s office. Longer contracts would allow renewable energy providers enough time to incorporate upfront costs, such as for the installation of solar panels, into long-term fixed billing rates.
DIGG | del.icio.us | REDDIT