Bell: 10% Renewable Energy by 2020

[Press Release From Chris Bell (D) for Governor. URL here.]

In his remarks to the Texas Grain and Feed Association’s 108th Annual Southwest Grain & Feed Conference EXPO in San Antonio today, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell called for increasing the state Renewable Portfolio Standard from 4.2% to 10% by 2020.

“In the New Mainstream, we can seek out new ideas to reach common goals,” said Bell, a Houston attorney. “If we do that, we’ll expand the economy in rural Texas, create about 20,000 new jobs and save $4.7 billion in natural gas and electricity prices. This is a rural economic development plan that even a city boy like me can understand.”

Current Texas standards set in 1999 call for a 2.7% RPS by 2009 and 4.2% RPS by 2015, far below other goals set in Pennsylvania (8% by 2020), California (20% by 2017), New Jersey (22.5% by 2020), and New York (2013).

According a study, the benefits of a 10% RPS in Texas will include 19,400 new jobs, $5 billion in new capital investment, $349 million in new property tax revenues for local communities and schools, $138 million in lease payments to farmers, ranchers and rural landowners resulting from wind power generation, $90 million in payments to rural areas resulting from biomass energy production, $310 million in Gross State Product, and $4.7 billion in lower natural gas and electric prices. (“Renewing Texas’ Economy,” Union of Concerned Scientists, Jul. 2005)

“Rick Perry’s idea for rural Texas is to take a half million acres off the school district tax rolls just to benefit the road builders who’ve written the big campaign checks,” said Bell. “Did you know that in some places the Trans-Texas Corridor will be wider than the Amazon River? This is corruption we can see from space.”

At a press conference prior to his speech, Bell held a press conference to announce the endorsement of Charlie Stenholm, a former congressman who was the Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee.