More than 25 percent of the Southeast U.S. region’s electric power could come from locally-available renewable energy supplies by 2025, according to findings released today by the World Resources Institute (WRI), Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), and Southface.

State-by-state renewable energy potential, as a percentage of 2006 total electric power salesPrompt policy action to develop these resources can also create tens of thousands of new jobs, attract more regional energy investment, and help protect regional air and water resources.

“The Southeast has a strong portfolio of renewable energy resources that offers several economic and environmental advantages over traditional electric power generation,” said Eliot Metzger, a project manager at WRI and an author of Local Clean Power, the first in a three-part series of reports about energy opportunities in the Southeast United States.

The report estimates that investments in local renewable energy resources - like biomass, solar, wind, and hydropower - can meet more than a quarter of future electricity needs in the region by 2025. That amount would be sufficient to meet national renewable energy targets currently being discussed as part of upcoming federal energy legislation.

The expansion of current renewable power production from its current level of about five percent will be a critical step towards meeting future electricity needs with cleaner supplies and increasing energy independence.

Stephen Smith, executive director at SACE, another research partner, added, “Right now we are depending on other regions of the country, and foreign countries like Columbia and Venezuela, to supply us with coal. Doesn’t it make more sense to be producing cleaner power, closer to home? Our research suggests we certainly have sufficient resources. It’s just a matter of recognizing and capitalizing on these home-grown energy supplies.”

Renewable power potential is well distributed throughout the region, though differences in total electricity sales mean that states like Mississippi and Alabama can meet much more than 25 percent of electricity needs with renewable resources (see table). Some electric power utilities are starting to develop renewable resources in the region, but additional policy action is needed to drive investment and carefully manage the transition to new energy resources.

“A focus on developing our own renewable energy resources will create good-paying jobs that cannot be exported from our region,” said Dennis Creech, executive director at Southface, which was a partner on this research. “However, we need public policy to remove market barriers and encourage these investments in the Southeast.”

“Additional policy action and investment in a clean energy future translates to new growth opportunities - which for us means the creation of more jobs,” noted Tim Blackwell, president of OneWorld Sustainable, a company specializing in efficiency and renewable energy in the Southeast.

The report offers several recommendations for policies that can advance renewable energy development in the region, including: firm targets for renewable power production; flexible incentives to advance local investments in renewable resources; and comprehensive state-level resource assessments, economic analyses, and regulatory guidance to integrate renewable power into the electricity grid.

As American car manufacturers struggle to survive, Ford Motor Company
is producing more sustainable and fuel-efficient vehicles.

But as Jessica Forres reports… convincing local motorists to buy
"green" may not be that easy.



In Virginia, Tom Rolewicz is driving the new Hybrid Fusion. As an
engineer with Ford Motor Company, he’s happy to show off the new
technology...

THERE’S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE CAR.

-IS THAT SURPRISING ?

- YOU KNOW IT’S GRATIFYING I WILL SAY. I MEAN BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY
DO WANT THE CAR. I THINK PEOPLE WERE MADE VERY AWARE OF THE PRICE OF
FUEL LAST SUMMER.

Jay Ward…a Ford spokesperson…says the hybrid is just the beginning…
electric and fuel efficient vehicles will be on the market within the
next two years...

THIS IS A CHANCE TO REALLY DISTANCE OURSELVES FROM WHAT’S GOING ON AND
REALLY START PUTTING THE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR.

Some salesmen and customers at a Ford dealership in Silver Spring,
Maryland, tell a different story. Salesman Kenneth Mitchell waits
outside for potential buyers...

WE DON’T EVEN HAVE ANY EXPEDITIONS ON THE LOT BECAUSE THEY’RE SOLD OUT
YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN GAS PRICES WENT BACK DOWN THREE OR
FOUR MONTHS AGO, EVERYONE RUSHED IN WITH THEIR LITTLE CAR AND BOUGHT
ALL THE BIG CARS, ALL THE EXPLORERS AND ALL THE EXPEDITIONS.

Inside, Warren Romine wants to buy the Mustang Convertible. He’s
excited about the cars extras, such as blue tooth technology and an
upgraded interior...

-WHAT ABOUT THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE CAR? IS THAT A CONCERN FOR YOU?
-WELL IT’S ALWAYS A CONCERN, BUT I’M NOT BUYING A CAR JUST BASED ON
FUEL ECONOMY.

Ford Motor Company says there’s a waiting list to buy the new Hybrid Fusion.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

Hypermilers have hit the streets of Northern Virginia...

And as Jessica Forres reports... these fuel concious motorists are
testing how far they can go on a single tank of gas.



Tom Rolewicz... driving a Fusion Hybrid... turns onto the George
Washington Parkway and switches off the air conditioning. It's a
technique motorists can use to save fuel.

IN TRAFFIC IT CAN KNOCK YOUR FUEL ECONOMY DOWN BY TWENTY, TWENTY FIVE PERCENT.

Rolewicz works for Ford Motor Company. He's one of six eco-drivers
taking part in the Ford Fusion Hybrid 1-thousand Mile Challenge. Jay
Ward is a spokesperson for the company. He says they chose Washington
for the weather, terrain...and politics.

WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW.
CLEARLY PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SAY HERE IS THAT WE'RE DOING OUR
BIT AND WE'RE WORKING AS FAST AS WE CAN TO BRIGN EXCITING NEW CARS TO
THE MARKET.

The challenge, Ward says, will end when the car runs out of gas.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

The annual croquet competition between St. John’s College and the U.S. Naval Academy brought thousands of spectators to Annapolis, Maryland.

As Jessica Forres reports… the sport acts as a bridge between the rival schools.



Lavish picnics and nearly 2000 people…many of whom are dressed like characters from the Great Gatsby… are spread out across the lawn in front of St. John’s College.

They are watching the 27th annual Annapolis cup…. a croquet match between the college's so-called Johnnies and the Midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy…

JoAnn Mattson is St. John’s Director of Alumni Relations…. She says the tradition started in 1984.

SOME MIDS AND SOME JOHNIES WERE ARGUING ABOUT MAYBE THEIR MASCULINITY, I DON’T KNOW AND THE MIDS CHALLENGED THE JOHNNIES TO COME UP WITH A SPORT THAT THEY COULD BEAT THE MIDS AT. THEY SAID WE CAN BEAT YOU AT ANYTHING. AND THEY THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND THEY SAID CROQUET.

Though the two schools are across the street from one another, she says ideologically they are miles apart.

UNTIL THIS EVENT STARTED, WE DIDN’T HAVE A MIDDLE MIXING GROUND. AND THERE COULD BE SOME ANIMOSITY AND OVER THE YEARS AND I KNOW THERE WAS DURING THE VIETNAM WAR.

Colonel David Mollahan..clad in uniform... agrees.

THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WHO GO TO ST. JOHN’S THEY HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH THEY LOOK AT THE WORLD AND YET THEY COME TOGETHER AND HAVE A NICE EVENT.

Watching from the sidelines, Craig Martin, the owner of a barber shop in Baltimore, is rooting for the Midshipmen.

I GET MORE CUSTOMERS FROM THE US NAVAL ACADEMY THEN ST. JOHN’S

St. John’s won the contest yesterday for the 22nd time since the tradition started.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

When Walter Reed Medical Center closes in 2011... thousands of commuters are expected to relocate to their new facility in Bethesda. The Maryland Department of Transportation has proposed improving roads to accomodate the traffic.

But as Jessica Forres reports… some cyclists feel left out...



Angela Atwood-Moore and fellow members of her Cycling Club are at MDOT’s community meeting.They are concerned about what ISN'T being talked about in plans to improve four intersections near Bethesda Naval Medical Center...

WE WALK IN AND THERE ARE BIKE MAPS ON THE TABLE BUT WE’RE NOT ANYWHERE IN THESE PLANS.

The Naval Hospital is expecting about 25-hundred employees and 4-thousand patients to relocate there in a few years ...as part of the military base closure plan.

Atwood Moore says the new design widens and extends sidewalks, but doesnt include bike lanes....

IF THE WHOLE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO MOVE TRAFFIC THAN I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE’RE PENALIZING THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO GET OUT OF THEIR CARS AND DO THE MOST TO REDUCE TRAFFIC FLOW. I MEAN YOU CAN’T SAY YOU WANT TO MOVE PEOPLE AND THEN PENALIZE WHO AREN’T TAKING UP ROAD SPACE WITH THE CAR.

Mike Haley represents MDOT and says the agency will evaluate public comments when deciding how to use their limited resources..

SO PART OF THE EFFORT IS TO GET SOME FEEDBACK ON WHERE PEOPLE THINK THE MOST VALUE IS. SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME DECISIONS GOING FORWARD ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE MONEY WE DO HAVE.

The proposed intersection improvements are at West Cedar Lane and Jones Bridge Road.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

In a few years, thousands of new commuters will inundate downtown Bethesda when the Army relocates Walter Reed Medical Center from D-C to Maryland.

And as Jessica Forres reports.... some homeowners don't think their neighborhood can handle all the cars.



Sheila and Tom Barrett’s house is a stones throw from Jones Bridge Road....across the street from Bethesda Naval Medical Center. They can see the four lane highway from their dining room window.

STARTING AT LEAST FROM 5:30 TO 6 IN THE MORNING, IT’S BACKED UP. BECAUSE OF NAVY. ENTRANCE INTO NAVY BECAUSE OF SECURITY.

IT’S RIDICULOUS…THE TRAFFIC IS INCREDIBLE NOW AND THEN WITH THE CLOSING OF WALTER REED AND MOVING ALL THE EMPLOYEES OVER HERE…

According to plans proposed by the Maryland Department of Transportation, improvements are slated at four major intersections that they say will be most affected by the move.

[NAT: GYM

Inside Bethesda Chevy Chase High School, Mike Haley is representing MDOT at a community workshop. As he points to a large map of Cedar Lane and Wisconsin Avenue, he says the improvements won't do much to relieve the traffic.

-IT’S STILL F
- HUH?
-IT REMAINS F
-WHAT’S F
-FAILING LEVEL OF SERVICE
- EVEN AFTER THE IMPROVEMENTS?
-WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO MAKE IT AN A
-A IS NOT ON THE TABLE

Haley also says fewer than half of the improvements are funded.

The D-C branch of a national bone marrow program is encouraging more minorities to become donors.

Jessica Forres reports...



[NAT: CHOIR]

A choir performs at the New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland as members of the congregation line up to provide samples of their DNA.

Juliette Williams of the National Marrow Donor Program is recruiting two, young black men, Termayne Douglas and Stephen Yirenkyi...

THIS IS THE KIT YOU’RE GOING TO TYPE YOURSELF WITH. WE HAVE FOUR Q-TIPS, TWO IN A PACK. YOU ARE GOING TO SWAB EACH SECTION OF YOUR MOTH FOR TEN SECONDS.

- HOW ARE YOU FEELING RIGHT NOW
-HEROIC
-SCARED

Williams says more than 6-thousand patients…suffering from various blood cancers, such as Leukemia or Lymphoma...are in need of bone marrow transplants each year. Finding a match isn’t easy…. especially for minorities who only make up 8 percent of donors...

THE BEST MATCH FOR A PERSON COMES FROM THEIR OWN RACE OR OWN ETHNIC BACKGROUND. SO THAT’S WHY WE’RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE OVER 7 AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE ON THERE AND MINORITIES ARE NOT ON THERE IN THE NUMBERS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

There are 3 and a half million white donors... sevens times the number of blacks on the list...

ONLY 6 PERCENT OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICANS ON THE REGISTRY WILL GET A TRANSPLANT THE OTHER 94 PERCENT WON’T BECAUSE THERE’S NOT ENOUGH ON THE REGISTRY.

The next bone marrow drive in D.C. takes place on Thursday at Galludet (GALLA-det) University.

Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

_____

A local church is trying to save lives this Easter weekend by encouraging minorities to become bone marrow donors.

Jessica Forres reports...

At the New Life Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Stephen Yirenkyi, a young black man, is about to swab the inside of his mouth with a Q-Tip...

HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW?

-SCARED

He's hoping his DNA will lead to saving the life of a cancer patient some day...


- I’M GOING TO SUCK IT UP BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO REALLY NEED HELP…


Juliet Williams...with the National Marrow Donor Program...says that's especially true for minorities... who make up about 8 percent of the registry...


THE BEST MATCH FOR A PERSON COMES FROM THEIR OWN RACE OR OWN ETHNIC BACKGROUND. WE HAVE OVER 7 AND A HALF MILLION PEOPLE ON THERE AND MINORITIES ARE NOT ON THERE IN THE NUMBERS WHERE WE NEED TO BE.


William's program hosts a bone marrow donor drive every week in the Washington, DC area.


Jessica Forres WAMU 885 News

(It's still a debate about whether this creek is in D.C. or Maryland, but I'm posting the story anyway. I drove by there the other day and it looks like it's split between D.C. and Maryland. Regardless, residents from D.C. and Maryland cleaned up the important estuary together).

Thousands of volunteers swept the Potomac River watershed for trash and litter. The clean up was part of a regional effort organized by the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

Jessica Forres reports…



Near busy 16th street in Silver Spring, Maryland, Katherine Trimble and her two young children comb Fenwick Branch North-Portal Tributary for trash.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR DOING THIS. AFTER THE FIRST YEAR I STOPPED USING PLASTIC BAGS.

She and more than 12-thousand volunteers from Pennsylvania to Virginia are taking part in the 21st Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup. Ginny Harris...with the Alice Ferguson Foundation…organized the event. She calls us from another clean up site in Accoceek, Maryland.

IT EDUCATES PEOPLE WHAT IS FLOATING DOWN OUR DRINKING WATER, WHAT’S FLOATING DOWN THE POTOMAC RIVER AND HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES.

A total of 30-thousand trash bags were distributed at 500 sites across the Mid-Atlantic region.

_______________________

Thousands of volunteers collected trash in the Washington, DC area as part of a regional effort to clean up the Potomac Watershed…

Jessica Forres reports...

Cars speed past local residents sweeping Fenwick Branch North-Portal for trash. It’s a small creek near busy 16th street that eventually flows into the Potomac River.
A local boy scout troop shows us what they’ve collected...

A BASKETBALL, SOME CIGARETTES

Boy Scout JEROME WALKER says it makes him angry.

BECAUSE PEOPLE JUST THROW THEIR TRASH OUT HERE WITHOUT THINKING TWICE.

Ginny Harris with the Alice Ferguson Foundation… is on her cell phone at another cleanup site in Accoceek, Maryland. Her group organized the2 1st annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup.

HOPEFULLY YOU’LL START MAKING CHANGES . YOU’LL SEE THAT YOU CAN PICK UP A HUNDRED STRAWS IN TWO FEET OF AREA. AND THEN YOU DECIDE MAYBE NEXT TIME I WON’T GET A STRAW.
She says more than 12-thousand volunteers collected trash at nearly 500 sites throughout the Potomac Watershed.