Where there's a Will, there's a way

I haven't had much time to blog lately so I'll have to go back to an old story that I feel strongly about. Mark Mahoney proposed a simple yet important resolution to televise committee meetings of the Springfield city council. It passed with one dissenting vote from Frank Kunz.

I think this is absolutely worth the small cost involved. You can't expect the average person to spend a lot of time and extra effort to follow local politics. People have jobs and busy lives. Even people who care about local government have a hard time finding the time to pay close attention. Making that easier is part of the job description for any elected position. Mahoney deserves credit for pursuing an excellent idea.

Overall, the City Council & City Clerk do a good job making their actions accessible to voters. The online calendar has agendas and minutes for full council meetings and committee meetings. I just checked and I can already get the agenda for the next Public Affairs & Safety meeting over a week away. It would be nice to have online video of the meetings, but they do have audio.

The minutes have good ordinance summaries and provide information on where to get full copies of ordinances. There's even a page showing how council members voted on important issues.

Additionally, the city website provides a way to contact all alderman with or without an email address. I'm not wild about the fact that people have to make requests to speak to the council 24 hours in advance. However, that policy is easily found on the city website and I've seen the Mayor accommodate people on several occasions who hadn't filed the paperwork in advance.

Between all the information on the website and televised meetings, there's not much more the city council can be expected to do. It would be nice to see the full text of proposed ordinances put online, but otherwise they're doing a great job. The local media also covers important issues prominently in advance of the final vote.

There couldn't be a stronger contrast between the city and what can generously be called a token effort by the Sangamon county board. Not even their full monthly meetings are televised, much less their committee meetings. No audio is available.

No information about addressing the county board on issues other than zoning can be found online. Unless someone were familiar with the inside workings of county government they wouldn't know that its more productive to address the closed door Republican caucus meetings where most real debate takes place and no minutes are taken.

Meeting agendas and minutes include short descriptions of ordinances that often provide very little explanation. I've often looked for agendas that were still not online three days before the meeting. To their credit, they added a contact listing within the last year that includes a generic email address that can be used for all board members. But, it still lacks contact information for new board members appointed three weeks ago. The "News & Events" page only includes three items, two of which are several years old.

The county website lacks any information about committee meetings other than a meeting place and time. No minutes, agendas or ordinances are available online for any committee. That's especially disappointing because on several occasions I've heard board members indignantly proclaim that issues were discussed at length in committee and that the public should have taken part in that technically open debate rather than raising issues before the full county board.

Similarly, Sam Cahnman was accused of "grandstanding" every time he brought an issue before the public instead of dealing with it quietly in committee. If the real work happens in committee, as Chairman Van Meter proclaims, then why isn't committee information easily accessible to the public online?

How exactly is the average person supposed to take part in the committee process when no information is available online and there's rarely media coverage about board issues other than a back page article in the State Journal Register the day before it comes to a vote before the full board? Is everyone in the county supposed to take time off work to visit the courthouse during business hours every week just in case there might be an issue coming up that interests them?

The county board provides an excellent example of how a governmental body can stay within the law but still remain in the domain of political insiders. There will always be a small number of people with a close eye on local government no matter how elusive it is to the average person. Particularly people looking for a government contract or patronage appointment. I'm sure those insiders find the county board perfectly accessible.

The county could learn a lesson from the city and do much more to make it easier for the rest of us.

Posted by Will at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

CES recently put out a newsletter. No, not Clean Energy Springfield. Community Energy Systems based in Riverton.

They're asking people to contact them for inclusion in a list of people using: "Photovoltaics of any kind, wind or hydro generation of any kind, super insulated or rammed earth (underground) housing or business, solar water preheat systems, tank less water heaters, geothermal heat pumps, and anything else you may consider earth friendly energy services."

Read the rest of their newsletter here.

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If you live in Springfield you've probably heard that our town is proudly hosting the national convention of the Vietnam Veterans of America this week. Coincidentally, I recently watched a new documentary called Sir! No Sir!, "The suppressed story of the GI movement to end the War in Vietnam."

I was reluctant to rent it because I get burned out on all the movies rehashing the baby-boomer experience with Vietnam. We have new struggles to face today instead of eulogizing the struggles of yesterday. All the movies seem to tell the same story over and over again.

But this movie was different. It told a story that I've never heard before and it told why war hawks have done their best to make sure people forget that it was veterans and active duty troops in Vietnam who helped lead the movement against the war. I never knew how much Nixon was hampered by soldiers in the field who refused to participate.

Conservatives like to push the image of war protesters spitting on Vietnam vets when they came home and the movie takes that story on. It fits the war monger's agenda to advance the idea that being anti-war means being anti-troop. But its hard to keep believing that when the troops themselves are the ones leading the protests.

I love the fact that Arlo Guthrie made an impromptu visit to the Vets meeting in Springfield and sang a song about how he got out of serving in Vietnam. I don't know how the vets reacted but I love the idea that, instead of shouting at eachother, a guy who opposed the war was singing together with guys who served in it.

The movie reminded me of the time during the 2004 campaign when I met a few of the vets who served on the swift-boat with John Kerry. They weren't part of the swift-boat liars group that you saw in the news all the time. Everyone who served on a boat with Kerry stuck by him. That day several soldiers who served in action with Kerry were directly confronting the head of the swift-boat liars group to challenge his calculated deceptions.

That was the day when I finally figured out what was going on. All of the attacks against Kerry by the swift-boat liars group had nothing to do with his service in Vietnam and everything to do with the fact that he spoke out against the war when he got home. As a 20-something that didn't live through their time, it had never occurred to me that they were replaying an argument that had been going on for decades.

I can understand why the swift-boat liars weren't being honest about their intentions. Most of the public believes Vietnam was a mistaken policy and its hard to fault someone who stands up for their convictions.

I think they also wanted to avoid saying anything at all about the fact that Vietnam vets like Kerry opposed the war. It leads to a lot of questions like "Were there many veterans against the war?" "Why did they oppose it?" "What did they have to say?" "How did they work with non-vet protesters who opposed the war?" "How did active duty troops still in Vietnam help oppose the war?" Those are the kind of questions war hawks don't want people asking or answering and that's exactly what "Sir! No Sir!" does.

The most tragic part of that day with Kerry's fellow shipmates wasn't that they were ignored by the media. For me, the saddest part was that the media also ignored the recently returned Iraq War veteran who was there to talk about what he saw and why he now opposes the war.

I imagine he must have known that he could be shunned and harassed for years by some of his fellow veterans like John Kerry was. He had seen the Republican National Convention symbolically spit in the face of every Vietnam veteran when they wore purple heart band-aids and trashed the record of a real hero while they campaigned for someone who used his rich daddy's connections to avoid combat service. He knew he was taking a great personal risk by exposing the"bad news" in Iraq that most of us still know nothing about. And in the end his act of amazing courage was for nothing because the media wasn't ready to tell us the truth of what's happening in Iraq.

Sir! No Sir! is one of the most hard-hitting, emotional movies I've seen in a long time and I learned a lot. Its good for those of us too young to remember what really happened that they don't put in the text books and just as good for those old enough to have forgotten. Its probably best most of all for those who need to know that if they want to oppose a war they served in that there are others doing the same, it has been done by brave men and women before, they will have support, and they can do it in a way that matters.

Posted by Will at 7:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias brought his Green Rewards program announcement tour to Springfield today. I attended the press conference held at the Farmer's Market downtown, which by the way, is a great place to buy organic food and support local farmers.

Local state Representatives Rich Brauer and Raymond Poe were on hand to lend their support along with Representatives Mike Boland, Susana Mendoza, Linda Chapa LaVia, Brandon Phelps, Harry Osterman and maybe one or two others that I think I'm forgetting. Its always good to see bipartisan support for an environmental initiative that also helps consumers save money.

Of course, if the Representatives want to get really serious about promoting lower mileage and cleaner burning vehicles they should sign on to co-sponsor the Clean Car Bill. Two of the Reps at the press conference already have, but not Poe or Brauer.

Posted by Will at 6:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last Wednesday I went to a presentation in Chatham by John Root, the Energy Services chief at the public utility in Muscatine Iowa. The largest portion of his talk was about how to reduce energy consumption in your home and how Muscatine Power & Water helps their customers do so.

He made a point of saying that you should make your home as energy efficient as possible before you install solar panels or a wind turbine in order to maximize your investment. That would have been good advice for the guy in today's SJ-R article who installed a wind turbine for his home. If you want to read more about the energy programs mentioned in the article you can check out CWLP's site and Clean Energy Springfield's information page.

Root talked about some exciting things his utility is doing such as giving customers a rebate for half the cost of florescent light bulbs when they provide a receipt and installing residential solar panels at cost.

Incidentally, if you think CWLP should implement programs similar to Muscatine you can tell them so at their next public smart energy forum. The forums are a result of the agreement with the Sierra Club aimed at involving ratepayers in decisions about how energy efficiency and conservation dollars are spent. The next one is August 16 at Lincoln Land Community College.

The city council is voting soon on proposed standards for how CWLP will deal with solar panels, wind turbines, net metering, smart metering and similar issues so now is a good time to tell your Alderman that you want Springfield to be proactive about promoting renewable energy and conservation.

The final part of the Chatham meeting featured the President of the rural electric co-op in Auburn speaking about the wind turbine they're installing. He had some interesting details about what they're doing that I'll write about soon.

There's a push to build a wind turbine in Chatham as well. A group called Chatham Clean Energy will be at the Sweet Corn Festival this weekend with a petition you can sign in favor of the turbine. All of a sudden Sangamon County is a hotbed for clean energy!

Posted by Will at 6:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias announced his "Green Rewards" program that will give a $1,000 rebate to buyers of hybrid and electric cars who use a loan from an in-state bank. The Sun-Times article states:

Giannoulias said he bought his hybrid in December because of concerns about global warming, which is caused, in part, by burning gasoline. He has also pledged to replace his office's aging fleet with hybrids or other fuel-efficient vehicles.

hat-tip to Jack Darin.

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I visited the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Austin Texas earlier this year. Inside the library Lady Bird Johnson had her own office overlooking the University of Texas campus.

In the view from the office you can see part of a hike and bike trail in the city that she helped establish. Even as an international figure who could have worked on any issue around the globe she still took the time to focus on improving the quality of life in the city she loved. The people of Austin still benefit from her efforts and will for many years to come. That made a real impression on me.

“Though the word beautification makes the concept sound merely cosmetic, it involves much more: clean water, clean air, clean roadsides, safe waste disposal and preservation of valued old landmarks as well as great parks and wilderness areas. To me…beautification means our total concern for the physical and human quality we pass on to our children and the future.”
- Lady Bird Johnson

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The Journal-Register has an article worth checking out today about the Illinois advisory group on energy and climate change issues. I mentioned the group in a previous post about Illinois clean car legislation, of which I've written numerous times.

The car standards referenced in the article are currently in the legislature in a bill sponsored by Karen May. It has nineteen co-sponsors, including Mike Madigan, but none are from the Springfield area.

CWLP's purchase of wind power brings them very close to the proposed renewable energy standard ahead of schedule. Any utility or city that works on reducing global warming emissions now will be in a better competitive financial position once everyone is required to meet minimum standards by either the state or federal government.

Posted by Will at 9:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Ray LaHood decided to grace us with another term in Congress. I understand that politicians have ambition but this is the second election in a row that LaHood was publicly looking for an exit strategy from Congress.

Why doesn't he pull the trigger? It doesn't look like Republicans are going to regain control of Congress anytime soon. I'm sure he would have made a better candidate for Governor than Topinka. I know he spent most of his adult life working in Washington but it can't be all that difficult to reconnect with his home state.

I think LaHood would be doing everyone a big favor if he resigned so that everyone in the district can have a competitive election between a Democrat and Republican who actually want to do the job.

For some reason I have this song in my head...

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The Sierra Club is filing a legal appeal to the issuance of a permit to build a coal power plant in Taylorville. This is going to upset some people. The company building it will cry and moan about how this is a "clean coal" environmentally friendly power plant because it uses new coal gasification technology.

Its certainly true that IGCC plants like this one result in large reductions of some pollutants, and that's a good thing. The problem is that it still releases large amounts of pollutants that cause global warming. A Sierra Club press release tells us why Taylorville may soon be in the national news as a test case.

This appeal marks the first federal legal action challenging a new major source of global warming pollution after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in April of this year that carbon dioxide is a pollutant and can be regulated under the federal clean air act. It is also the first permit issued in the US for a large scale commercial IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) power plant. IGCC plants have the potential to capture and sequester carbon dioxide, but to date no large scale operation has successfully done so. In addition, the Taylorville plant will not be installing the appropriate equipment that allows carbon capture and sequestering.

The 630 megawatt coal-fired power plant, proposed to be built in Taylorville, IL, would add approximately four million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, as much global warming pollution as adding 750,000 cars per year for each of the next fifty years. Carbon dioxide pollution is the primary cause of global warming, and is emitted into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned.

“Scientists are urging that we cut global warming emissions 80% by 2050...We can reach those goals, and continue using Illinois coal, if power plants plan to control their global warming pollution. Unfortunately, so far Tenaska has not been willing to commit to greenhouse gas limits, and be a part of a cleaner future,” said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter.

...“With the filing of this appeal we urge Tenaska and the State to come up with a plan that allows this project to move forward in a way that does not accelerate global warming,” Owen added. “Sierra Club stands ready to assist in finding these solutions.”

Appealing the permit of coal plants to reduce their negative impact on the environment is normal for the Sierra Club. I want to point this out to illustrate that the Sierra Club's willingness to sit down with City Water Light & Power to work out an agreement was a conciliatory act of compromise that everyone benefited from rather than an act of "terrorism" or "extortion" as some ideological extremists claimed during the public debate. Springfield did it the better way.

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Shortly before the war in Iraq began George Bush visited Knoxville Tennessee where I was living at the time. I went with a group of friends to an anti-Bush rally that was kept in a "free-speech zone" far enough away from Bush that he was sure to never see us.

I made my own sign that simply said, "Sow more war, reap more terrorism."

This recent story illustrates what I was thinking when I made the sign:

The terror attacks at Glasgow Airport and London were a calculated act of revenge intended to bring the carnage of Baghdad to Britain's streets, investigators have revealed.

Security sources have briefed senior politicians that the failed assaults of last weekend were most likely part of a "profoundly political campaign" to punish the UK for its part in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Killing innocent people abroad doesn't make us safer at home.

The article later states that, "Intelligence experts are also deeply concerned that white converts to Islam could be the next group used by terrorists to throw investigators off the scent." That echoes the argument I made against profiling on a number of occasions, including in the comments of a BFS post last August. Policy decisions based on anger and prejudice will only hurt ourselves in the long run.

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Ok, who watched the Live Earth concerts? I saw some of it online where you could switch between concerts in city to city. Very cool.

The Foo Fighters put on an excellent show and Melissa Ethridge put a lot of passion into her performance. The musicians were good but one of the best moments came from Robert Kennedy Jr who always makes a powerful argument for the environment.

A few quotes from his speech: "Good environmental policy is identical to good economic policy."

"If we raise fuel economy standards in our automobiles by only one mile, we generate twice the amount of oil that's in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. If we raise fuel economy standards by 7.6 miles per gallon we yield more oil than we now import from the Persian Gulf."

"The most important thing you can do is to get involved in the political process and get rid of all these rotten politicians that we have in Washington DC...who are nothing more than corporate toadies for companies like Exxon and Southern Company, these villainous companies that consistently put their private financial interests ahead of American interests and ahead of the interests of all of humanity."

"And we have a press that has completely let down American democracy...that's giving us Anna Nichole Smith and Paris Hilton instead of the issues that we need to understand to make rational decisions in a democracy."

It gets better. Watch the video!

You can watch the performances at the Live Earth website or on YouTube. As much as I pay attention to the issue I still heard about new ways to make a difference. The best way to make the whole event worthwhile is to do something new in your personal life to stop global warming!

Added on edit: I guess Microsoft didn't like the speech being on Youtube so here's a new link.

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There's ongoing contentious debate over a proposal to employ destructive longwall mining practices in Montgomery County Illinois, which includes Hillsboro and Litchfield, despite strong local opposition.

One of the companies that owns most of the mining rights in Montgomery County is Drummond Co, so I took notice of an Associated Press story about a court case over their connection to the murder of two union leaders in Columbia.

The union has presented affidavits to the Alabama court from two people who say they were present when Drummond's chief executive in Colombia, Augusto Jimenez, handed over a large sum of cash to representatives of the local paramilitary warlord. They claim the money was for the March 10, 2001, killings of Sintramienergetica union local president Valmore Locarno and his deputy, Victor Orcasita.

Union leaders, former army soldiers and ex-paramilitary fighters also allege that family-owned Drummond, which shifted most of its operations to northern Colombia in the 1990s as its Alabama veins gave out, paid and provisioned the paramilitaries as a matter of policy.

If the allegations in the lawsuit are true, Drummond Coal is financing terrorist acts against union leaders. Who wants to notify Homeland Security?

Posted by Will at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Be sure to read he Illinois Times article this week about coal power.

Although the debate over coal-burning power plants often begins at the smokestack, Alice McKeown, a coal specialist for the Sierra Club and the report’s author, finds that coal’s path of destruction really begins in the mine and continues to wreak havoc until waste finds its way to a landfill, abandoned mine, or human lung.

Posted by Will at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I was expecting Sicko to be predictable without informing me of anything that I don't already know. My assumption is that it would feature a bunch of emotionally taxing sob stories of people without insurance and then tell us that we need universal health care. I'm happy to say that I was completely wrong.

The reviews and anti-Moore editorials I've read highlighted the number of uninsured in America. But, as Michael Moore states in the first five minutes, Sicko is about people who already have insurance.

Moore makes a powerful argument that America's health care problem will never be resolved until we eliminate the dysfunctional health insurance system that profits by denying people the medical care they need. Any plan for universal health care that relies on the private insurance industry will be fundamentally inadequate.

Sicko, like all of Moore's movies, is most interesting when he uses the subject matter to make broader observations about American society and politics. The topics of how Americans relate to our government as compared to other nations, and methods of controlling the public, were some of the most fascinating moments in the movie.

Moore debunks the most popular arguments against universal health care, including some of the arguments I've seen in anti-Moore reviews and editorials. Its odd that Moore's critics would use the same old arguments that he thoroughly refutes in the film but the goal of most conservative commentators isn't to argue with Moore. Their goal is to ensure that people don't see the movie.

Moore knew what was coming after the massive propaganda campaign to attack and discredit him after the release of Farenhiet 911. That's why he released a book confirming the facts contained in his last film and was careful to back every claim in his new one. The wall of sound from talk radio and insurance industry-backed editorialists started early for Sicko but most of their work was completed when they convinced much of the conservative public to not expose themselves to competing ideas by going to any Michael Moore movie. All I can do is laugh when I hear a familiar rant about how wrong Moore is repeated almost word for word by people who have never seen his movies.

Whether you're a conservative opposed to "socialized medicine", a liberal who thinks you already know the issue, or you don't have much of an opinion either way, Sicko will make you look at the issue in a new light and be entertaining at the same time. I can't say its my favorite Michael Moore movie, but for me that's like saying a woman isn't my favorite tree-hugging supermodel. There aren't very many and I'm just happy if I get to spend two hours with one.

Just go see it.

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Years ago when Bush condemned those who claimed Iraq is incapable of democracy I didn't take it seriously as an argument. I heard people give many reasons for opposing the war in Iraq but that wasn't one of them.

Little did I know that Bush was making a pre-emptive argument against John Shimkus. Since Shimkus is one of the more prominent people who doesn't believe Iraq is ready for democracy I thought it would be appropriate to quote Bush's words in 2003 condemning Shimkus' viewpoint.

Some skeptics of democracy assert that the traditions of Islam are inhospitable to the representative government. This "cultural condescension," as Ronald Reagan termed it, has a long history...

Time after time, observers have questioned whether this country, or that people, or this group, are "ready" for democracy -- as if freedom were a prize you win for meeting our own Western standards of progress. In fact, the daily work of democracy itself is the path of progress. It teaches cooperation, the free exchange of ideas, and the peaceful resolution of differences. As men and women are showing, from Bangladesh to Botswana, to Mongolia, it is the practice of democracy that makes a nation ready for democracy, and every nation can start on this path.

...As the colonial era passed away, the Middle East saw the establishment of many military dictatorships... Dictators in Iraq and Syria promised the restoration of national honor, a return to ancient glories. They've left instead a legacy of torture, oppression, misery, and ruin...

Many Middle Eastern governments now understand that military dictatorship and theocratic rule are a straight, smooth highway to nowhere. But some governments still cling to the old habits of central control. There are governments that still fear and repress independent thought and creativity, and private enterprise -- the human qualities that make for a -- strong and successful societies.

...Successful societies protect freedom with the consistent and impartial rule of law, instead of selecting applying -- selectively applying the law to punish political opponents.

I included that last quote in light of the news about Scooter Libby.

Bush made an excellent speech in defense of democracy. I wish I had confidence that he will hold closer to those principles than his last three discarded justifications for the war in Iraq.

Considering the fact that Bush just commuted the sentence of the person he promised to fire for leaking classified information, its impossible to take anything he says seriously. Bush could adopt the Shimkus position on democracy in Iraq any day now.

Posted by Will at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

I almost can't believe what I read today in the State Journal-Register. My Republican representative in Congress, John Shimkus, is quoted as saying:

“In some of these countries where they are having some Islamic presence, is it better to have a constitutional monarchy, with a very strong, powerful king, and maybe a dictator who is trying to move a little bit to democratic principles, versus just throwing the door open and pushing full-blown democratic principles, which could destabilize the country?” Shimkus said during a discussion with the editorial board of The State Journal-Register.

“When I taught government and history,” Shimkus added, “by definition, what is the best form of government, the most simple, is a compassionate monarchy - a monarchy that loves and respects its citizens and … is able to make easy decisions without the weight of a bureaucracy we’d have to fund.”

Shimkus did us the favor of letting us know that every public rationalization given for the war in Iraq is a lie.

First, Bush deliberately mislead the public into believing that Iraq was responsible for 9/11 by talking about that national tragedy every time he attempted to explain why the Iraq invasion was necessary.

When too many people started pointing out his first claim wasn't true, Bush started mentioning Al-Qaeda, Hussein and Bin-Laden in the same sentence to imply a connection. It turns out that the Reagan administration had closer ties to Hussein than Bin-Laden did.

When people started catching on to that deception the new justification became weapons of mass destruction. Most of the media ignored the three former chief weapons inspectors in Iraq who said before the invasion that Bush was distorting the evidence. Since then, more people closely involved in the process came forward to say that the evidence was manipulated by the Bush administration to fit their agenda in Iraq.

When no WMD's were found, the fourth, and I thought final, excuse given for the invasion was to remove a dictator and bring democracy to the Middle East. Shimkus, who is one of Bush's most loyal supporters in Congress, just told us that rationale was a lie as well. Apparently, a benevolent dictatorship that provides stability and protects our interests in the region is just fine. In other words, he wants a slightly less violent Saddam Hussein of the 1980's when he was still an ally.

What an astounding message to deliver right before Independence Day. Shimkus is telling us that America no longer needs to be a beacon of democracy to the world but rather an aggressor nation that will install puppet dictators in order to protect our strategic interests.

I want John Shimkus to stand in front of the troops and tell them why they're in Iraq. What is it for? Why did he vote for it? Why does he continue to support a President who told lie after to lie to our troops about why they're risking their lives on a daily basis?

I've never been more ashamed to have this man represent my district in Congress. I say my "district" because he has most certainly never represented me.

Posted by Will at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (2)

I missed their broadcast but WAND TV news has the story about Springfield's wind power contract going into effect on their website. I didn't spot the story in the SJ-R, which wouldn't have bothered me had they not run a story Sunday updating us about the mysterious lake snake.

I did a phone interview for WTAX radio but I missed their broadcast this morning. If anyone hears or sees any coverage of the story let me know and I'll add it to this post.

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City Water Light & Power will begin using wind power July 1 as part of Springfield's clean energy plan worked out with the Sierra Club. At first, only 20MW of wind power will be incorporated into Springfield's energy mix with the remaining 100MW to be added as it becomes available from wind farms being built by Florida Power & Light Company.

Half of the 120MW will power State of Illinois facilities, including the Capitol Building. That means Illinois will have the first Capitol Building powered by wind that doesn't emanate from politicians.

Such a large investment in renewable energy, conservation and efficiency programs, and emission reductions makes Springfield a leading example to which other communities are looking. Not even Chicago, which Mayor Daley wants to make the greenest city in the US, uses this much clean energy, so Springfield really has something to be proud of!

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