ST. PAUL - Democratic leaders on Tuesday renewed their push for legislation to increase the use of renewable energy in Minnesota, saying they will be able to find common ground with a plan set forth by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The Democrats' proposal would require utilities to generate 25 percent of their electricity with renewable sources, such as wind or biomass, by 2020.

The lawmakers, as they have in the past, said such a move away from traditional energy sources would lead to greater energy independence and rural economic development. The difference this year, they said, is Pawlenty's support of renewable energy and a November election that gave Democrats control of both chambers of the Legislature.

"The stars are aligned" for such a measure to pass, said Sen. Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul.

Initially, much of the renewable energy would be generated by wind while other technologies - such as biomass and hydrogen and solar power - are refined. Biomass includes crops, plants and other organic matter that can be turned into energy, such as a plant in Benson that burns turkey manure.

Pawlenty's so-called "25-25" proposal calls for a slightly more gradual shift; it would require utilities to generate a quarter of their power with renewable sources by 2025.