The North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy says it`s time for the state to truly invest in our renewable energy potential. It`s compiled a list of recommendations for lawmakers to consider during the upcoming legislative session.
Members of the Alliance say they`d like the legislature to dedicate $8 million over the next biennium for the Resources Trust Fund to develop water projects and energy conservation and efficiency practices. Practices like protecting the wind rights and other interest of landowners and the commercial rights of project developers and owners and also increase wind farm ownership opportunities for North Dakota residents to make sure the economic return stays local. They`re also calling for an ethanol and biodiesel requirement, not just an incentive so that when you go to the pump, gas will contain 10 percent ethanol or 5 percent biodiesel. Lastly, the group says we can make great gains without having to create legislation, through becoming more energy efficient.
"There is nobody that can`t benefit from energy efficiency. In one city where they did an energy efficiency challenge. They had 2-hundred businesses respond and on average those businesses save 30 percent on their energy bill. Then it just becomes a way of doing business," says Mike Williams with North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy.
NDARE says it would like to see building codes, requiring efficiency standards.
