With the passage of the oil and gas bill, interest in our nation’s ability to create alternative energy continues to grow. The Bush Administration has made limited progress to make America less dependent on foreign resources, so cities and states across the US are taking it upon themselves to enact renewable energy initiatives that will power the nation’s future.
The following are areas that have developed new and unique initiatives and have had major announcements that will make the US more energy independent.
– Baton Rouge, LA: Just announced a new coal gasification plant which is projected to be one of the largest industrial developments in the country this year, worth $5B and 1,200-1,500 jobs.
– New Orleans, LA: Just announced a new biodiesel plant which will supply the US with 43M gallons of biodiesel fuel (more than half the amount of biodiesel used in the US last year).
– Sacramento, CA: Long before Arnold signed a global warming pact with Blair, this region has been quietly building its alternative energy sector. Home to the California Fuel Cell Partnership, the region also boasts the largest supplier of portable fuel cells in the world.
– Pennsylvania: America’s first-ever waste coal to diesel plant will be built in Pennsylvania.
– North Dakota: Known as the “Saudi Arabia of Wind,” North Dakota has the highest wind potential in the nation and has more than $700 million invested or scheduled for the production of renewable fuels and wind energy production.
– Denver, CO: Created the first Green Fleets program in the nation which has decreased the City’s dependence on foreign oil by 4%.
