GOVERNORS CALL FOR MORE ALTERNATIVE FUELS

The National Governors Association unveiled a wide-ranging proposal on developing and using alternative transportation fuels on Thursday. Governor Tim Pawlenty chairs the NGA and said the Securing a Clean Energy Future effort calls for the country to reduce its dependance on foreign oil. Pawlenty said America is the world's leading consumer of petroleum and uses more than 7.6-Billion barrels of oil a year, 60% of it imported. The Governor said the solution won't come from the development of one or two new energy sources. Pawlenty said independence from foreign oil will come when states and the nation develop a variety of alternatives like bio-fuel, bio-mass, syn-fuels, wind power, solar power, nuclear and others. The NGA energy conference released a report declaring America's current energy path unacceptable because of escalating economic risk and serious environmental consequences.