Switchgrass may soon overtake corn as the leading source of the alternative energy biofuel ethanol.

But fields of switchgrass are not the only place in which grass roots are at work on the alternative energy scene.

Alternative energy advocates like the Network for New Energy Choices are encouraging grass roots campaigns for alternative energy adoption across the U.S. Their stance is that urban and state officials are far more motivated, regarding finding alternatives to fossil fuels, than is the U.S. Federal government.

They appear to be right. As of June, 2005, a bipartisan coalition of 165 mayors had pledged to tackle global warming on the local level. Their goal was to have each of their cities, by 2012, comply with the pre-1990 greenhouse gas emissions standards set by the Kyoto treaty, which the Bush Administration has rejected. They will be exploring clean-burning alternative energy as part of their plan.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson have also, on the state level, established rigorous new greenhouse gas emissions standards, and California is stepping up its in-state production of alternative energy ethanol.

And in August of 2006, in the first state-and-foreign government alliance of its kind, Schwarzenegger joined British Prime Minister Tony Blair in signing a mutual agreement to both address global warming and advance alternative energy technologies. California, as the world’s 12th largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, has great influence in determining how serious the U.S. commitment to alternative energy is.

North Dakota’s Governor John Hoeven, although his state is the U.S.’ ninth largest producer of domestic fossil fuels, has signed legislation clearing the way for development of wind, biodiesel, and ethanol alternative energy production.

In fact, over a third of the U.S. state governments have mandated that a larger amount of the electricity consumed within their borders be generated from alternative energy sources.

If past be prelude, the rest of the world will continue to develop alternative energy policies while waiting for the Federal government’s global warming initiative.

Fortunately for the U.S.’ public image, alternative energy conscious urban and state leaders have already usurped those prerogatives.