Gov. Rick Perry says the Future of Energy in Texas is now"

Gov. Rick Perry (photo)

Touts Positive Environmental, Economic Impact of Alternative Energy Sources

Houston – Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the American Wind Energy Association’s Wind Power 2008 Conference and the grand opening of the nation’s largest biodiesel refinery at GreenHunter Energy’s Renewable Fuels Campus in Houston.

The governor touted the positive environmental and economic impact of renewable energy sources and the state’s ongoing effort to further diversify its energy portfolio to include wind, biofuels, solar and nuclear.

"The future of renewable energy in Texas is now," Gov. Perry said. "Establishing a diverse energy portfolio continues to be one of my major priorities for the state and renewable energy plays a key role in that diversification."

Practical, innovative solutions to energy challenges are a recurring theme in our state’s history. In fact, Texas is on the cutting edge of biofuel technology and leads the nation in installed wind generation capacity.

"Texas doesn’t just believe in the potential of wind energy, we are reaping its benefits already," Gov. Perry said at the Wind Power Conference.

In 2007, nearly $3 billion worth of wind-powered electric generators were installed in Texas, twice as much as any other state. And this addition of more than 1,600 megawatts of capacity increased the state’s total wind capacity by 59 percent.

Gov. Perry underscored the need for alternative energy sources that do not impact our food supply. Recently, the governor petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency for a 50 percent waiver from the federal renewable fuels standard mandate for ethanol derived from grain.

"Texas plays a vital role in feeding and fueling the nation, and GreenHunter Energy’s biodiesel refinery bolsters this role by providing a necessary alternative to fossil fuels without negatively impacting our food supply," said Gov. Perry.

"The transformation of an old waste-oil refinery into a renewable fuel campus is symbolic of our state’s commitment to continually moving towards greater energy independence."

Investments in Texas, like Green Hunter Energy’s, will bring jobs and economic development to the Lone Star State. Through economic development tools like the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Emerging Technology Fund, the state continues to incentivize and invest in research, development and job creation related to clean-energy technologies, further diversifying not only our energy portfolio but our economic landscape.