Monday, July 6, 2009

Perriello Unveils Energy Plan

This past weekend, Rep. Perriello unveiled his energy plan for the district, covered by both the Martinsville Bulletin and the Franklin News Post. Perriello's plan is premised on three principles: maximize efficiency, revolutionize energy sources, and decentralize energy production. With these principles in mind, the Southside is well positioned to be a national leader in the new energy economy:
• There is an abundance of farmland for the production of bioenergy, and post-industrial sites are available and ideal for developing clean energy technologies.
• Entrepreneurs and farmers in the region are ready to become leaders in the struggle to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.
• The region is home to world-class research centers and is positioned to leverage funds provided by the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission.
• The recently approved American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the American Clean Energy and Security Act are providing federal funds for investments in clean energy.
Perriello money quote:
“We will not turn this economy around by hiding from our problems, but by having the courage to reinvent our competitive advantage,” he said.

2 comments:

matt said...

out of curiosity, what is his stance on the futility of ethanol and it's affects on global food prices? do any of his plans encourage offshore and alasakan drilling for oil, or nuclear power?

Drew said...

hey, sorry i missed this. Don't quote me on these answers, but to the best of my knowledge - and allow plenty of leeway to be wrong - Perriello sees current ethanol production a boondoggle. And to your answers on drilling and nuclear power, he said during the campaign that ALL options must be on the table, including the possibility of offshore drilling and nuclear power. Those types of energy sources are only a bridge-gap measure until we get to serious renewable energy sources, sources that make our country independent of foreign oil and "petro-dictators." He's big into the next generation of biofuels and believes that our district, very rural and agrarian, can be at the forefront of that new energy economy.

Those answers to the best of my knowledge.