In a stunning example of what can happen when a countries leader is serious about renewable energy, the Prime Minister of Portugal, Jose Socrates, anounced today that he hopes to have 45% (!!) of all energy used in his country to come from renewable sources by 2010.

From here.

the target raises the government’s existing goal by 6 percentage points.

‘This … will place Portugal in the front line of (EU countries using) renewable energy,’ Socrates told parliament.

The government will also launch a micro-generation programme enabling householders to generate their own power and sell the excess to the electricity grid, Journal de Negocios online reported him as saying.

Power sources will include wave energy, which will be tested in a pilot project at Sao Pedro de Moel to be approved in cabinet tomorrow, Socrates added.

The prime minister’s statement came two days after EDP – Energias de Portugal SA announced plans to invest 2.910 billion euros in renewable energy by 2010, including 2.630 billion in wind farms and 280 million on other sustainable technologies.

When compared to Bush’s feeble attempt at reducing our gasoline usage by only 20% by 2017 (something he offered no plan for doing other than some numbers about biofuel) you can see that European countries are leaps and bounds ahead of us. America will need to rapidly increase its use of renewable energy or face the consequences.

What will happen when American cars are not allowed to be sold in other nations because they burn gas? What would happen if other countries started to embargo our good because we are not part of their co2 emissions cap and trade system? We can not allow America to become a technological backwater. If we wish to remain competitive we will have to continue to push our elected officials towards more and more renewable energy solutions to our energy needs.