General

Association also lauds Fraser, Watson and Villarreal for their work to diversify Texas energy portfolio.

Gov. Rick Perry today hailed Texas as a leader in the effort to bring more green energy to the marketplace, but at the same time he continued his months-long mantra against efforts by the Obama Administration and the Congress to accelerate the development of renewables through federal edict and mandates.

Speaking to the 25^{th annual conference of the Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association, the Republican governor acknowledged that "government mandates have a strategic role to play." But he insisted that the cap-and-trade legislation pending in Congress would be a jobs-killer in Texas and would not deliver the promised environmental improvements.}

It was a familiar speech from Perry, though delivered at a somewhat subdued clip perhaps because the renewables sector tends to be more receptive to efforts to tackle issues like climate change. Or because Perry may have still been carrying some of the emotions from his weekend visit to Fort Hood in the wake of last weekend’s shooting rampage that left 13 dead and dozens of soldiers wounded.

Perry alluded to the attack at the start of his speech, saying: "Where ever you might be in the political sphere, we are all Americans. We are all in this together."

Pivoting back to issue that brought him to the conference at the Omni Hotel Southpark, Perry said that the renewables sector is a logical extension of the state’s historic role as the nation’s premier energy producer.