Candidate Notes on 01-WGA01

01-WGA01 on Aug 14, 2001

1. Western Governors find that states must continue to play a pivotal role in electric power decisions. Specifically:
   • The existing authority of states over retail electric power sales and transmissions must be retained.
   • Congress should allow states to create regional mechanisms to decide regional power issues.

1. We need to pursue a national energy policy that will result in a diverse energy portfolio:
   • New energy development: Enable exploration and development of promising domestic oil, gas, coal, geothermal or wind resources.
   • Coal: Implement R&D and tax incentives to promote the development and deployment of new technologies.
   • Renewables: Accelerate the development and deployment of promising renewable energy technologies through the extension and expansion of state and federal production tax credits.
   • Environmental Regulation:

Review environmental and natural resource policies to ensure they are as efficient as possible.

Permitting Energy Facilities: Streamline state, tribal and federal processes for siting new generation, electric transmission and natural gas pipelines.

Energy Infrastructure: Support economic and environmentally sound energy infrastructure investments to transport energy to markets

1. Energy efficiency and conservation: At a minimum:
   • Encourage rate structures that give utilities and customers an incentive to reduce consumption.
   • Encourage long-term stability of government and utility conservation programs.
   • Review and improve the energy efficiency of building codes and appliance efficiency standards that recognize the unique conditions in the West (e.g., dry climates).
   • Support federal, state and tribal tax incentives to accelerate the introduction of new energy efficient technologies.

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