It Just Doesn't Have the Same Ring as Dirty South ...

But maybe the Clean South is a better moniker.

A new report by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says that the 11 Southeastern states can fulfill a national mandate for renewable energy.

"Yes We Can: Southern Solutions for a National Renewable Energy Standard" confirms the states can tap homegrown clean energy resources to generate 15 percent of electric power demands by 2015 and the proposed renewable energy standard of 25 percent by 2025.

SACE says that Tennessee is rich in potential alternative energy, from wind in higher altitudes to solar and agricultural solutions in others: "The Volunteer state is home to nationally important solar and wind manufacturers. With these resources and active state leadership, Tennessee is an emerging powerhouse in clean energy action."

It looks like, however, that TVA-affiliated utility companies are excluded from Renewable Energy Standard requirements. That might be the case, but I'm sure TVA and MLGW will pursue alternative energy sources even if they weren't federally mandated to do so.