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Northwest Business Leaders’ Letter to Policymakers

Turbine WorkersIn late 2006 - early 2007, we launched an effort to bring business leaders in Oregon and Washington together as one voice calling on our Congressional delegation, our Governors, and our state legislators to collaborate across party lines to enact comprehensive, multi-year clean-energy policy. Over 230 business leaders signed on to the letter, below. Many of the signers later became members of the Business Leaders for Climate Solutions, which grew out of this effort and now includes leaders on Montana and Idaho.  If you aren't already a member, contact Ross Macfarlane to learn more about becoming a Business Leader for Climate Solutions.

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Dear Northwest Policy Maker,

As Pacific Northwest financial and business leaders, we recognize that our region has a golden opportunity to generate wealth and create new jobs in the coming decade in clean energy technologies. Biofuels, wind, solar, and smart grid, to name a few, are poised for explosive growth globally as resource, infrastructure, and pollution constraints make old energy technologies untenable.

But competition from other states, regions and countries will be fierce. To build a world class clean energy industry here in the Northwest we need to enact the nation’s most comprehensive, forward-looking clean energy policy program. We believe this can and should be done so as to be revenue positive -- with improved tax revenues and energy savings offsetting government expenditures. We are capable of helping pioneer the new energy economy, but we need your leadership to create a policy environment that fuels business innovation.

We call on our Congressional delegation, our Governors, and our state legislators to collaborate across party lines to enact comprehensive, multi-year clean energy policy and jobs programs that include these elements: 

Clean Energy Targets – Set specific, ambitious goals and timetables for development of renewable electricity and fuels and reductions in fossil fuels dependence. Enact results-oriented policies (standards, incentives) to meet these targets and send clear, powerful market signals to attract private investment and market innovators.

 

  • Tax Policies – Put in place long-term tax incentives to level the playing field with established energy sources and create investment certainty for clean energy developers.
  • Oil Savings – Invest in the infrastructure to slash our reliance on imported oil, including flex fuel vehicles, high-percentage blend biofuels,  cellulosic biofuels, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
  • Energy Internet – Deploy advanced technologies to make a smart electric grid more like the internet – a self-regulating network of distributed energy technologies linking millions of local participants – enabling a cleaner, more secure, smarter and more affordable system.
  • Carbon Markets – Pioneer market-based carbon policies and emission trading systems that unleash competition and reward farmers, land managers, entrepreneurs and others for practices that verifiably reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
  • Energy Centers of Excellence – Build world-class energy research and training centers to fuel energy innovation and build an advanced energy technology workforce.
  • Public Investment Funds – Establish clean energy investment vehicles to responsibly ramp up public investment in emerging local energy companies and markets.


Advanced clean energy technologies can become a keystone industry for the Northwest, like aerospace, information technology and advanced communications. We are already developing significant industrial clusters in areas such as the energy internet, efficiency, fuel cells, wind development and biofuels. The world is hungry for energy solutions that the Northwest can offer. Our private sector has the talent and resources to rise to this challenge. With a policy environment that invites investment, this region can emerge as a big winner in the clean energy economy.

Thank you for the steps you have taken so far. To really compete we all must intensify our efforts. Your policy leadership can make all the difference. We urge you to help us build a world-class clean energy economy in the great Northwest. 

 

Signers:

 

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Montana Business Leaders

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If you're a private sector business leader in Montana, please consider signing this
Letter to Montana Policymakers.


 
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