A response to my email requesting support of the Pickens Plan from the Lt. Governor of Wisconsin

Dear Energy IndependenceSupporter

I absolutely agree that we must work to increase our energy independence. Last year alone, we sent $12 billion out of our state and overseas to meet our energy needs, money that left the economy and didn't find its way back to Wisconsin workers and consumers. I too support innovators like T. Boone Pickens that work to develop energy plans that allow America to produce a larger percentage of our energy within our borders through alternative means such as wind, solar energy and natural gas. It is a smart way to eliminate our foreign dependency while growing the economy in our own country. A combination of conservation and development of viable renewable energy sources, backed by strong leadership in Washington D.C., opens a path to true energy independence, new jobs and a sustainable economy. Last year I invited the nation's lieutenant governors to sign a resolution pledging to use their offices as a platform to lead reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 7% below 1990 levels by 2012, and by 60 to 80 percent by 2050. There were only two dissenting votes. I continue to work to make it easier for Wisconsinites to contribute to reach energy independence. Promoting an Energy Star Tax Holiday, informing consumers how to switch to renewable energy for their home or business, pushing school districts to improve their energy efficiency by 10 percent with my Energy Star School Challenge, and discussing the profitability of going green with Wisconsin's farmers, are all actions included in my Green Economy Agenda. This agenda's aim is to empower smart individual and institutional action related to climate change as a strategy to strengthen Wisconsin's competitive position in a global economy. I encourage you to take a look at my website at http://ltgov.wisconsin.gov and learn more about what we are doing here at my office. Truly yours, Barbara Lawton