Secretary Norton Calls for Expanding Renewable Energy on Public Lands

(WASHINGTON) - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and the U.S. Department of Energy co-hosted a conference entitled "Opportunities to Expand Renewable Energy on Public Lands" today at the Interior Department headquarters in Washington.

The conference is a "roll-up-our-sleeves" work session, bringing together approximately 200 government officials, renewable energy industry and environmental leaders, and other citizens to focus on the best ways to increase wind, solar and geothermal production on public lands. The Interior Department currently leases, permits and licenses most of the government's renewable energy.

Based on what information gathered at today's conference, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham will make recommendations to the president and vice president about ways to increase renewable energy production on public lands.

"Our shared mission is both simple and noble. We must explore ways to better capture the sun's light, the sky's winds, the land's bounty, and the earth's heat to provide energy security for America's families," Norton said to conference attendees. "Today we seek the best ideas for reducing delays and bottlenecks in producing renewable energy. This is part of the Interior Department's commitment to consult, cooperate and communicate - all in the service of conservation."

In addition to Norton, federal officials scheduled to attend the conference include James Connaughton, chairman, President's Council on Environmental Quality; David Garman, Department of Energy assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy; Jim Moseley, deputy secretary of Agriculture; Ray DuBois, deputy undersecretary of Defense; Linda Fisher, deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Mark Robinson, director of the office of energy projects at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Key congressional leaders scheduled to participate include Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), who co-chairs the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus and Congressmen Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) and Mark Udall (D-Colo.), co-chairs of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus. Panels on renewable energy technologies were chaired by leaders in the fields of geothermal, wind, solar, biomass and hydropower energy.

Norton said Interior produces approximately 40 percent of the nation's geothermal energy. Interior also uses renewable energy at Interior facilities. Interior has more than 600 solar-powered facilities, 40 solar hot water systems, 30 wind turbines, 15 geothermal heating and cooling systems, and 6 wind farms. Each year the department uses 200,000 gallons of biofuels in vehicle and marine fleets and has 1,200 alternative fuel vehicles.

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