Joe Manchin: “When I was Governor of West Virginia, we set and have now achieved an alternative where we are going to reduce our…”

“When I was Governor of West Virginia, we set and have now achieved an alternative where we are going to reduce our carbon footprint by 25 percent by using coal in a cleaner fashion and also some of the other things we do, which I will explain. Not only did we do it, we did it 10 years earlier than we had targeted. In 2013, 4.1 percent of West Virginia's energy already came from hydroelectric and wind energy. Mount Storm Wind Farm--so many people don't know what we have done in our little State because we are all in; we want to do it all, and we are trying everything we have--is the second largest wind farm east of the Mississippi, 17 miles across the beautiful landscape. I also agree with Senator Whitehouse on the importance of energy efficiency. With our friend Senator Hoeven of North Dakota, I have introduced the All-Of-The-Above Federal Building Energy Conservation Act, legislation that would improve the energy efficiency of all Federal buildings and set an example for the private sector. This legislation takes a commonsense, all-of-the-above approach to the issue of Federal energy efficiency. I believe that by encouraging the use of innovative technologies and practices, instituting reasonable goals, and allowing building managers flexibility, we can achieve better environmental stewardship in a cost-effective manner.…”