Renew! Renew!

I think I signed the petition for this proposed Washington state initiative a couple weekends back, but I didn't take the time to read all about it on the street corner where I was nabbed.

A little-noticed state initiative that would require utilities to get 15 percent of their power from renewable resources such as wind and solar appears well on its way to getting on the November ballot.

There's not much organized opposition so far, but that could change. The Association of Washington Business and some utilities are expected to oppose the measure, arguing it would drive up energy costs.

[...]

The goal of I-937 is to help wean the state from fossil fuels by requiring utilities serving 25,000 or more customers to get at least 15 percent of their energy needs from renewable resources by 2020. Companies falling into that category supply about 84 percent of the energy used in the state.

Utilities that didn't meet the renewable-resources target, which would be phased in, would pay penalties to the state.

[...]

The measure would not dramatically increase energy costs because it contains an escape clause that would let utilities get a waiver if their costs rose more than 4 percent because of the initiative's requirements, said [Bill LaBorde, a spokesman for the I-937 campaign].

[...]

The Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which represents more than a dozen small utilities, including Inland Power, opposes the initiative.

The Association of Washington Business hasn't made a decision yet, but "I can't imagine us supporting it," said Don Brunell, the group's president.