AUGUSTA – Just in case he doesn’t become Maine’s next governor, Jonathan Carter proved Tuesday that he might be only a test drive away from his next career: high-profile salesman for Honda hybrid cars.

The Green Independent Party’s gubernatorial candidate has purchased an $18,000 gasoline- and electric-battery-powered Honda Insight that he will use as his campaign car. Using his personal savings to buy the car, Carter said he’s getting a lot of smiles and “thumbs up” from those he meets on Maine highways as he tools along in the aerodynamically sleek little vehicle.

During a press conference Tuesday at Blouin’s Honda in Augusta, where he bought the car, Carter offered some of his thoughts on a state energy policy. The featured attraction for the event was the Honda with its electrifying Monte Carlo Blue paint.

“It doesn’t come in green,” lamented Carter, who’s running as a publicly funded candidate under the state’s Clean Elections Act. “But we’re running a clean campaign and we’ve got a clean car.”

Carter told a small group of reporters Tuesday that energy conservation and the development of alternative fuels will be key components in his plan to restructure and revitalize Maine’s economy. Citing a study by the Tellus Institute of Boston, Carter said Maine could significantly reduce its current 42 percent dependence on fossil fuels and generate 95 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources such as wind and solar power.

“That’s enough to power 1.2 million homes or produce 12.5 billion kilowatts per year,” Carter said. “In the process of moving in that direction, the Tellus Institute estimates that by the year 2010 we could create 3,000 jobs and by 2020 we could create 7,000 jobs. So when we talk about energy conservation, we’re talking about putting dollars in Mainers’ pockets.”

Depending on today’s certification decision by the state ethics panel, the Green Independent Party candidate will be eligible for a little more than $900,000 in public funds to finance a campaign that will feature energy conservation as its centerpiece. In addition to establishing the state cabinet post of Energy Conservation and Alternatives, Carter would require state government to buy electricity created by wind-, solar- or hydro-powered generators.

Other key points of his energy policy would call for:

. the replacement of state cars with hybrid, energy-efficient vehicles,

. the installation of florescent lighting in all state buildings,

. energy audits of all state buildings,

. tax credits for the installation of alternative power generators such as solar or wind power,

. tax incentives for energy-efficient construction and weatherization.

Although Carter acknowledged that some of his energy conservation measures, such as alternate power purchases, could cost the state more than buying from conventional electricity generators, he preferred to emphasize the savings that most Mainers would recover by buying cars such as the Honda Insight. With a fuel capacity of only 10 gallons, the Insight features hybrid technology that reportedly allows the car to travel from Maine to Virginia on a tank of gas.

“This car also reduces pollution and we’re all very aware of the problems associated with global warming,” Carter said. “I estimate that I’ll drive about 30,000 miles during this campaign. As a result, I’ll reduce my carbon dioxide output by 5,000 pounds. Conservation and protecting the environment go hand and hand. And it’s good for the economy.”