Gubernatorial Support for Alternative Energy in New York

New York Governor George Pataki issued an executive order requiring state agencies to boost their use of biofuels over the next several years.

The order requires that at least 5% of heating fuel used in state buildings will be biodiesel, a clean-burning alternative fuel that public agencies and authorities will purchase for vehicles, boilers and heating plants.

Made from agricultural products, biodiesel can be produced by over two million acres of former farmland in New York. The executive order is designed to boost rural the state’s rural economy, lower pollution and decrease dependence on foreign oil. With such a comprehensive set of goals, it will be interesting to see if other governors pursue similar executive actions of their own.