Office of Energy Independence

Having an Office of Energy Independence signifies a state’s realization that renewable power is not only a trend, but is taken seriously. Which states promote such progress toward the creation of their own renewable power sources with an actual Office of Energy Independence?

If you search Yahoo or Google for the words office of energy independence, several links to different American states’ independent power source offices are found:

• Iowa
• Wisconsin
• Kentucky
• Maine
• Indiana

Iowa and Wisconsin have several pages in the top 30 results, so their Web sites must have more content about their own office of energy independence than all others.

Iowa Office of Energy Independence

Iowa’s Web site for their office of energy independence states their purpose: “The office will align state government efforts for achieving energy independence through partnerships with business and industry, community leaders, government and public agencies, and other stakeholders.” They publish on their Web site frequently about renewable power sources, and on other sites about their activities.

Iowa refers to their initiatives as their New Energy Economy. Obviously, more than any other state in the U.S., Iowa’s view on clean and sustainable power sources is different, bigger, more important.

The Office of Energy Independence – Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s office of energy independence states their purpose: “generating electric power and transportation fuels from renewable resources; capturing more of the emerging bioindustry and renewable energy market; and leading the nation in groundbreaking research that will make clean energy more affordable and will create good paying Wisconsin jobs.” Their office of energy independence Web site is full of information about their green activities too, but they represent it as something they’re doing, not that it IS their new economy.

Perhaps no state has as big a stake in clean and sustainable energy development as Iowa and that’s why they refer to it as their economy, and have so many articles and updates on the topic.

What makes the states of Iowa and Wisconsin so conscious of this important topic?
Is it that the other states don’t have offices devoted to the movement toward independent power sources?
Do they have such departments, but no documentation on a Web site about it?

Tell us what you think with a comment below.