Election Round-Up

I ended up not posting last night, because Obama’s win became too thrilling and non-environmental propositions became too heartbreaking.

But here is the final tally of the ballot measures across the country:

California:
Proposition 1A: Approved, 52.3%
Proposition 2: Approved, 63.3%
Proposition 7: Defeated, 65%
Proposition 10: Defeated, 59.9%

Colorado:
Amendment 58: Defeated, 58% (so many 58′s… too funny)

Georgia:
Amendment 1: Approved, 68%

Maine:
Question 3: too close to call

Minnesota:
HF 2285: Approved, 56%

Missouri:
Proposition C: Approved, 66%

Ohio:
Issue 2: Approved, 69%

Rhode Island:
Question 1: Approved, 76%
Question 2: Approved, 68%

updating often, refresh

Missouri, Prop C: YES: 66.1%, NO: 33.9%…. 5% reporting

Georgia, Amendment 1: YES: 66.3%, NO: 33.7%…. 5% reporting

Ohio, Issue 2: YES: 72.5%, NO: 27.5%….. ?? reporting

*** go HERE for full election results

Missouri Proposition C

Continuing series on Election 2008. This one is from Missouri.

Proposition C: Clean Energy Initiative

If it is approved by voters, it will create a renewable electricity standard in the state. The standard would require utility companies to gradually increase their usage of renewable energy annually until 15 percent of the energy used in the state is renewable. The initiative would also require that energy rates not increase by more than one percent annually.

This is what I have found out:
A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to require investor-owned electric utilities to generate or purchase electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass (including ethanol) and hydropower. The required renewable energy sources must equal the following percentages of retail sales:

• 2% by 2011
• 5% by 2014
• 10% by 2018
• 15% by 2021.

Of the total renewable energy sources required to be sold, at least 2% shall be solar sources. Also, any rate increase to consumers resulting from this measure must be no more than 1%.

A “no” vote simply means that utilities will not have to purchase from a renewable source.

These is no impact on taxes fore this to pass.

My recommendation:
This proposition seems very straight forward, so I am recommending a YES vote. Aside from the fact that there is no fiscal impact, and the utility companies have 3 years to comply with a 2% increase, which seems more than reasonable, the main point of this is that we have to move to renewable resources. HAVE TO. Also, from what I can tell, there is not one publication, utility, newspaper, etc., that has publicly opposed this measure.

There are no website for either position.