Sierra Club supports Clean Alternative Energy Initiative

Sierra Club California supports the Clean Alternative Energy Initiative, an initiative being circulated for the November ballot.

Over 10 years the measure will collect $4 billion in taxes on oil produced in California. The funds will go towards cutting the use of gasoline and diesel fuel by 25% and increasing renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technology. California, the nation's third-largest oil producer, is the only producing state without such an extraction fee or oil severance tax.

The initiative would allocate about $2.3 billion for loans to purchase alternative_fuel cars, buses, and trucks, or to pay some of the costs for service stations to sell alternative fuels. An additional $1.1 billion would fund renewable-energy and conservation research at California universities, and $400 million would help offset some start-up costs for commercial alternative- energy ventures. The rest would go to job training, public education, and administration.

Support for this initiative complements other Sierra Club efforts to promote clean energy, reduce oil consumption, and address global warming. Please sign petitions for this initiative, and help with turning out voters in November.

For more information, visit Clean Alternative Energy Act

Jim Metropulos, legislative representative, Sierra Club California