This month we have focused on alternative energy again, and we hope to shed some light on different applications of clean tech. Recent events have made it even more clear to us the need for a stronger renewable electricity standard. With the BP oil spill disaster we have been left to deal with one of the worst environmental catastrophes in history. I don't want to get too focused on that path, but do want to highlight how our dependence on fossil fuels needs a new direction. In addition to the spill, this week sees the American Wind Energy Association holding its annual conference. Both of them, while very different entities, come together to form the same conclusion.

According to a blog post I read this morning, around 20,000 people showed up for the wind event in Dallas. A record-setting number for any in-person conference to be sure. What this proves however, is that there is strong support for the growth of the clean-energy industry. It seems baffling that around half of the states we live in require renewable energy in some form or capacity, while a national requirement still eludes us. Combine this with the fact that we only receive around 3.5 percent of our electricity from renewables other than dams, and we have some work to do. What will it take for such a system to be put into place?

One answer is that sometimes it takes an event of great magnitude to get the gears going and drive progress forward. Let's hope that in addition to creating some kind of national renewable energy standard, we also come to agree on how to carry this energy through an interstate transmission system. We need to provide the incentives, show demand is there, and really drive home the need for growth in renewables. From there we might be able to reach all the lofty goals we've been setting for ourselves with emissions and take the lead in environmental measures.