Alternative Energy News - A New Angry Progressives Initiative

In one of my first posts, I listed the exploration and promotion of alternative energy as one of five targeted progressive ideas to make America a better place. In that vein, I'm starting something new. Each day I'll be providing you with links to articles related to energy conservation and alternative energy. My hope is that you'll see that ordinary citizens, state and local governments, and the private sector are collectively making progress in this endeavor.

• Grocery giant Safeway is purchasing 174,000 megawatt-hours of wind energy, making it California's largest corporate purchaser of green wind energy. The purchase is enough to power Safeway's corporate headquarters, all of its San Francisco stores and its 269 U.S. fuel stations for two years. Safeway's actions reflect Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signing of AB32, which aims to reduce the state's global-warming pollution by one-quarter by 2020.
• Gaithersburg is about to become the first city in Maryland to introduce biodiesel for its entire vehicle fleet, after switching last month to a biodiesel blend for its 98 vehicles, including trucks, street sweepers and industrial mowers.
• Thanks to Gov. Jon Corzine, NJ plans to overhaul its energy policy with the aim of dramatically curtailing energy use while promoting an aggressive effort to rely on alternative fuels, such as solar and wind power.

To take the next step, this country needs a commitment from the federal government. And for that, we need a Congress and President with progressive ideas, not people bought and paid for by large oil companies and the Saudi Royal Family.