The governors of 17 states signed an agreement to promote clean energy, clean transportation, more modern electrical grids and to plan for a clean energy future.
The Governor’s Accord for a New Energy Future was signed by a bipartisan coalition of governors representing 127 million people Tuesday afternoon. Under the agreement, the governors pledge to diversify their energy sources and expand their commitments to clean energy, modernizing their infrastructure and working toward securing a stronger national energy future.
“We recognize that now is the time to embrace a bold vision of the nation’s energy future,” the accord states. “And to do so, states are once again poised to lead. We join together, despite unique opportunities and challenges in each state, to embrace a shared vision of this future.”
The governors of California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington signed the accord.
Among the pledges in the accord is Hawaii’s commitment to reaching 100 percent renewable energy use by 2045. Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, said the accord will help one of the most oil-dependent states in the country work with other states.
“This accord allows us to share information about our clean energy transformation with other states and to collaborate with them on issues that are important to all of us, like strengthening energy security, reducing carbon emissions and promoting smart growth,” he said.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, said the commitment will let his state work with public and private groups to bring that state’s energy advancements to other states.
“Nevada has many energy accomplishments and will continue to seek opportunities that build upon our existing programs and create new pathways to ensure that our energy sector remains one of the cleanest in the country,” Sandoval said.
