At the center of powering Ohio’s economic future and job creation will be the continued deployment of renewable energy technologies. Among the uncertainty of today, there is a ray of good news: the Ohio Power Siting Board – the state agency in charge of utility energy projects – has approved yet another significant solar project for Brown and Clermont Counties.
It is encouraging to see conservatives leading discussions on these proposed plans, but we must act now to help revitalize and modernize America’s aging infrastructure and energy grids. Together, these proposed stimulus plans can help businesses turn the lights back on and get the country back to work for a brighter economic and energy future.
As we all react to this new normal and question how we could have prepared better, it’s past time to consider that much like the warnings of epidemiologists about a potential pandemic that went unheeded, energy experts have been raising red flags about the vulnerability of our nation’s electricity system for years.
To effectively meet this challenge and prepare for future crises, we must invest in a more adaptable grid solution, one that emphasizes a diversified energy portfolio of baseload and renewable sources and is structured around a more flexible workforce.
As we collectively adjust to a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to also celebrate good news in Iowa. As a member of the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum, I’d like to congratulate all the stakeholders that met over the past year to find a compromise on solar energy policy that works for all Iowans. Senate File 583 was recently signed into law by Governor Reynolds after passing unanimously in both the state House and Senate. This important legislation provides consistency, reliability and the opportunity for solar energy to continue to grow in Iowa.
A new Texas energy source is figuratively (and literally) just over the horizon.
We are all too familiar with the hot Texas sun that can easily fry an egg on the sidewalk and sends us running into air conditioning. But that heat is energy, and with it comes the ability to generate the same electricity needed to drive those air conditioners we rely on to stay sane. And Texas sure has a lot of heat.
Last month, I proudly joined Conservatives for Clean Energy as their new Florida Director. Our group was founded in North Carolina in 2014 to educate the public and decision-makers on the economic benefits of clean energy and advocate for continued investments across the Southeast.
Many have probably now seen the picture, shared widely on social media, of wind turbine blades being buried in a landfill in Wyoming. The picture highlights a legitimate challenge to wind energy, especially as costs continue to fall and deployment of wind increases across the country. Importantly those challenges, one of them highlighted here, are not a reason to walk away from the table.
Many Republicans in Western states believe in conservation, in part, because they are hunters and anglers, said Greg Brophy, Colorado director for The Western Way, a right-leaning conservation group. His assertion is backed up by the recent poll, which found 69% of voters across all eight states identify as conservationists.
Expanded renewable energy law, long-term utility planning or targets set by the governor are all on the table.
Michigan’s renewable energy standard has helped spur utility investments in clean energy over the past decade, but that may end after next year when the state targets level off at 15% renewable generation.
In our highly charged political environment, the question of whether to incorporate more renewable energy resources as part of our overall energy infrastructure is—as with most issues—often viewed in the prism of being either “left” or “right.” Unfortunately, this simplistic view distorts an increasingly important issue, and one that has much deeper significance than whether, from a political perspective, conservatives or liberals perceive renewable energy positively or negatively. In fact, transitioning to a more robust renewable energy portfolio has important implications for air quality, water supply, economic development, and national security.