Urge your local government to support H77

Every year, most local governments across the state transmit a list of legislative priorities to their local leaders in Raleigh. Some of these items are intensely local, while others focus on statewide issues.

Although most counties and municipalities have already gone through this process for 2007, others have not. For instance Chapel Hill, where I live, will take this up at the Town Council meeting tonight.

Here's an e-mail I just sent to my Mayor and Council:

Dear Mayor Foy and members of Council,

I am most pleased to see in your legislative priorities 'support for legislation that
promotes development and use of renewable energy resources.'

As you may know bills to this effect have already been introduced both in the House and Senate this sessions. The Senate bill calls for a 10% Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard, while the House bill calls for 20%.

While certainly any progress is welcome, the House's bill, H77 would go much further in making statewide progress on the issue of carbon reduction we have taken so seriously locally. Incidentally, it is co-sponsored by two of our local legislators, Verla Insko and Larry Hall.

I urge you to specifically request the passage of the 20% RPS outlined in the House bill in your formal legislative priority list.

Thank you for your consideration,

Tom Jensen

Legislators take the priorities of their constituent local governments very seriously. It couldn't hurt to send your local officials an e-mail asking them to express their support for H77 to their representatives in Raleigh.