Op Eds / Blogs

Conservative leadership from Governor John Kasich and the Ohio General Assembly has produced a business friendly, job creating environment in Ohio.  I was encouraged to read the article, Report: State support of clean energy could add jobs, cut consumer costs on Monday, October 24.  The article outlined the economic benefits that clean energy will provide to the Ohio economy.  A striking statistic included the claim that Ohio stands to add enough clean energy jobs to fill Ohio Stadium by 2030 should the General Assembly do the responsible thing and end the current freeze on renewable energy.  Conservatives should always be in favor of creating jobs and cutting costs – that is exactly what a conservative approach to clean energy reform can provide for millions of Ohioans.

So what does conservative clean energy reform look like?  The Ohio Christian Coalition will join conservatives from around Ohio to advocate for increasing the use of renewable energy by 5% over the next five years and re-working wind turbine setback limits.  Recent polling shows that 62% of conservatives support 5% more renewable energy over the next 5 years while 72% support re-working setback limits.  Common-sense, conservative energy reform is a winning issue for conservatives across Ohio.

Tyler Duvelius is the State Director for the Ohio Christian Coalition. 

By Keith den Hollander and Blake Edmonds

Last month, hundreds of conservatives gathered in Washington, D.C. to participate in the second annual Conservative Clean Energy Summit, hosted by the Christian Coalition and Young Conservatives for Energy Reform.

This event presented an opportunity for conservatives from more than 30 states to travel to the nation’s capital to share their leadership experiences with like-minded people and to hear from lawmakers and policy experts how integral conservative support is to making clean energy a robust part of the American way of life.

To those skeptics who don’t think the words “conservative” and “clean energy” can appear side-by-side, we aim to prove otherwise. You may be surprised at how integral renewable energy is to our pro-family and pro-economic values.

For the over 50 Michiganders in attendance, the Energy Innovation Showcase hosted at the Summit also provided a rare opportunity for us to see, sit in, and let’s be honest, awe over one of Tesla’s electric vehicles. (We can personally attest, it was a jaw dropping experience.)

One would think that coming from a state with a rich automotive history like Michigan, experiencing the latest and greatest in American auto manufacturing would be commonplace. But a state law that prohibits direct-to-consumer retail means Tesla Motors, which like Apple sells its products through company-owned stores instead of through franchised dealers, is prohibited from selling cars in Michigan (and four other states). This ban was strengthened in 2014 and remains on the books despite the recent financial investments Tesla is making in our own backyard.

Grand Rapids is home to Tesla Tool and Die, having acquired the once struggling automotive supply chain company in 2015. In Flint, Tesla announced over the summer a $10 million investment in an injection molding company that will create 380 jobs.

Michiganders are literally helping build the parts to cars we cannot buy. And in an odd twist that signifies economic faith in the groundbreaking company, the Michigan Department of Treasury has invested in nearly 340,000 Tesla shares worth $72 million for state retirement funds.

Whether purchasing a Tesla is in their future or not, consumers should have the option to make that choice based on their values, needs, and budget, unencumbered by government interference.

Americans in all 50 states should have the freedom to choose clean energy, whether it’s to light up our houses, schools, churches and businesses, or to fuel our cars, and the government needs to get out of the way of the markets. The prohibition on buying one of Tesla’s top-of-the-line electric cars is an infringement on that right.

Imagine the convenience of driving a car that fuels up from an outlet plugged into your home instead of having to make a trip to the gas station every time the dial gets close to empty. Even better, imagine that the power flowing to that car is generated by homegrown natural resources such as the wind, the sun and natural gas. This is what conservatism is about: protecting personal freedom, including having a say over the types of energy we use and how we use them.

Several policymakers who addressed us at the Summit gave rallying cries for the innovative heart, ingenuity and opportunities presented by this great nation. But we think these characteristics also describe the spirit of Michiganders. We can open the market to competition and provide consumers freedom of choice. We can protect our state and nation’s best interests and security. We can create jobs and improve the economy. And supporting clean energy and the technology and infrastructure it requires will enhance those efforts. Which is why once the conference ended, hundreds of conservatives returned home to continue to press for the homegrown clean energy opportunities that ultimately strengthen our economies, families and nation.

On the morning of the Conservative Clean Energy Summit, we learned that Tesla had filed a lawsuit against Michigan state officials under the premise that the ban amounts to a state-sponsored monopoly. We hope this means the freedom to buy just got a little brighter in the Wolverine State.

Maybe for next year’s Summit, we’ll skip the airport check-in lines and make it a road trip to DC in a Tesla purchased in the great state of Michigan.

Keith den Hollander is chairman of the Christian Coalition of Michigan. Blake Edmonds is the Michigan chairman for Young Conservatives for Energy Reform (YC4ER) and the former youth vice-chair of the MI GOP. 

http://midwestenergynews.com/2016/10/10/commentary-michigan-conservatives-want-more-choices-on-clean-energy/

Following the 2012 elections, the Republican Party released a report saying the GOP should be synonymous with the “Growth and Opportunity Party”.  Now more than ever, conservatives have the opportunity to drive the debate about responsible, all-of-the-above energy reform.  As Ronald Reagan once said: “Our physical health, our social happiness, and our economic well-being will be sustained only by all of us working in partnership as thoughtful, effective stewards of our natural resources.”

Ohio is blessed to have a plentiful supply of coal and natural gas. These have been integral to the Ohio economy for many years.  But just as a financial advisor would tell you to diversify your investment portfolio, it’s important that Ohio diversifies its energy portfolio.

A recent study found that over 100,000 Ohioans are employed by the clean energy sector.  This figure is expected to continue to grow in 2016.  These innovative, 21st Century jobs will position Ohio to lead the country as clean energy continues to become more popular across the United States.

Meaningful energy reform will allow families and small businesses to save money on their electricity bills.  Clean energy has made tremendous progress in becoming more efficient and more cost effective over the past decade.  A prime example can be found at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  Over the past 5 years, Wright-Patterson has saved taxpayers over $1 million by implementing energy conservation projects.  We can keep our country, and those who serve to protect it, safe by relying less on foreign oil and shifting our focus to making America energy independent.

As conservatives, we believe we should not be beholden to the government.  Ohio cannot wait for the federal government to dictate policy to the states.  Rather, the states should pursue energy policies most beneficial to its citizens.  By allowing and encouraging net metering, Ohioans will have the opportunity to generate their own power.  Ohioans will then be able to sell back excess generation to the grid while being in control of their energy consumption.

Additionally, Ohio is home to some of the brightest minds at some of our nation’s greatest universities.  We should empower our students to control their own future and develop ways to continue to make clean energy cheaper and more efficient.  Increased innovation will allow utilities to pursue “all cost-effective” energy efficiency and save Ohioans, as well as our armed forces, millions of dollars each year. Ohio should be committed to energy efficiency while maintaining the “industrial opt-out” that was introduced in S.B. 310.

Conservatives in Ohio should be in favor of creating common-sense renewable portfolio standards.  A modest goal of 5% more clean energy in the next 5 years would be less than most RPS standards set by other conservative states.  After 5 years, Ohio should be able to re-visit the issue and deem whether such a policy would remain necessary.

Conservatives can no longer allow the energy debate to be monopolized by the left.  Recent polling shows that 70% of Ohio Republicans want to see the development and use of clean energy in the United States.  Ohio has the capacity to lead the United States in clean energy by enacting common-sense, conservative reforms.  Clean energy reform presents an opportunity for conservatives to grow our platform throughout the 21st Century.

Tyler Duvelius is the State Energy Director for the Ohio Christian Coalition and a member of the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum Leadership Council.

The Christian Coalition of America supports a comprehensive domestic energy portfolio for our country.  That means promoting the innovation of local, American made energy sources like natural gas, biofuels, wind, and solar.  We believe that our national security, economic well-being, and preservation of our environment depend on developing renewable energy technologies that create American jobs.

Oklahoma is considered a national leader for domestic energy production, ranging from natural gas to wind.  Sadly, the cleanest and most easily accessible source of energy God has ever given us – solar energy – is currently being threatened before it ever has a chance to succeed in the Sooner state.

Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E), the state’s largest electric utility, is attempting to unjustly tax its customers who exercise their right to generate their own electricity, on their own property.  The proposed tax will effectively halt an entire homegrown industry; eliminating local job opportunities and blocking our god given right to harness the power of the sun.

Rooftop solar is the epitome of homegrown energy.  It is becoming more evident that Americans want the ability to generate their own electricity and control their energy costs during a time where the average utility bill represents a large portion of the middle class American’s income.

Thousands of schools, churches, and businesses across the nation utilize rooftop solar to save money – reallocating the energy savings to educational and faith based programs for their communities.

OG&E’s proposal will remove that freedom of choice for all Oklahomans.  Their interests lie in preserving their profits and keeping us dependent on the energy sources they control, no matter if it stifles Oklahoma’s economic growth and energy security.

As faith based conservatives, we must stand up for what we believe in and what will enhance our families’ quality of life.  Creating jobs, strengthening our local economies, and preserving our country are effective ways to do that.  It is proposals such as OG&E’s that prevent us from making significant progress for a brighter and smarter future.

Roberta Combs
President / CEO
Christian Coalition of America

Growing wind energy aligns with conservative values. America’s renewable energy resources strengthen U.S. energy independence, transform local communities, and improve the lives of American families for generations to come.

That’s the message hundreds of Young Conservatives for Energy Reform and Christian Coalition activists brought to Washington recently at their Conservative Clean Energy Summit, which was co-sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association.

These conservative activists believe there’s an urgent need to accelerate this country’s transition to a cleaner energy economy. They want energy reform because they’re frustrated by a lack of leadership in Congress to supply stable, long-term policy to grow a domestic energy source like wind energy, and as their numbers grow, their voices are getting louder. Understanding the many benefits wind energy already generates for American homeowners and workers makes it easy to understand why they’re mobilizing.

The U.S. is blessed with abundant wind energy resources. We are now No. 1 in the world in wind energy production, with enough wind power installed to supply 18 million American homes.

Performance-based tax incentives that help advance wind’s technology and lower wind’s costs have opened up new economically-viable areas to develop wind farms. This includes North Carolina, which recently announced the approval of its first-ever utility-scale wind farm. This means in addition to being a wind manufacturing hub with 17 factories, South Carolina could soon both make and build wind farms all within its own borders. South Carolina is also on its way to becoming a wind research leader, as Clemson University is constructing a wind turbine testing facility in Charleston.

Diversifying our electricity mix with low-cost wind energy helps keeps the lights on for homeowners. Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas already reliably produce more than 20 percent of their electricity from wind, and nine states produce more than 12 percent. And whereas plants generating other types of power can shut down suddenly, changes in the output of a wind fleet occur gradually and can be predicted four to 24 or more hours in advance.

American ingenuity has advanced wind turbine technology, helping lower wind power’s costs by 66 percent over the last six years. Savings created by cutting those costs help keep more money in pockets of homeowners and businesses. For example, wind saved consumers $1 billion over just two days across the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic states during the 2014 “Polar Vortex” event.

By building and operating wind farms, American workers are producing more of our own energy right here at home. Over 73,000 jobs are supported by wind power, with more than 86 percent of wind farms built in the U.S. located in Republican-represented congressional districts. These wind farms create well-paying construction, manufacturing, and maintenance jobs for fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

Wind energy generates property tax payments and other revenues for rural communities, benefiting county and local services, schools and health care and public safety facilities. Family farmers and rural landowners are paid over $190 million a year by wind power companies for leasing land, meaning more of these families can stay in their homes or send their kids to college.

Even better, this potential is just starting to be tapped. Analysts predict wind can supply 20 percent of the United States’ electricity by 2030. Hitting that target with pollution-free wind energy will keep our air clean for the sons and daughters of future generations while creating 380,000 jobs.

However, without leadership from our elected officials, these benefits might never come.

To keep this American success story going, Congress must supply long-term, stable policy. The last time Congress failed to do so, it resulted in our economy losing $23 billion dollars and 30,000 jobs.

Congress must renew the renewable energy Production Tax Credit this year, for as long as possible, to provide this American industry and its investors with a business environment geared toward success.

Transforming America’s energy sector to create a better tomorrow will require us to seek new partners, search for common interests, and forge lasting relationships. America’s families share the same future, and the same risks. We owe it to ourselves and our children to work together to ensure continued prosperity in the years to come.

Roberta Combs of Charleston is the president/CEO of the Christian Coalition. Tom Kiernan is CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.

America’s renewable energy resources strengthen U.S. energy independence, transform local communities and will improve the lives of American families for generations to come.

That’s the message hundreds of members of the Young Conservatives for Energy Reform and the Christian Coalition recently took to Washington at a summit co-sponsored by the American Wind Energy Association.

These conservative activists believe there’s an urgent need to accelerate this country’s transition to a cleaner energy economy. They want energy reform because they’re frustrated by a lack of congressional leadership to supply stable, long-term policy for a domestic energy source like wind energy. As their numbers grow, their voices are getting louder.

Understanding how wind energy helps American homeowners and workers makes it easy to understand why they’re mobilizing.

The U.S. is blessed with abundant wind resources. We’re the world’s top wind energy producer, generating enough electricity for 18 million American homes.

In Oklahoma, wind has attracted $7 billion of capital investment while annually returning $11.4 million to its landowners through leases. It supports 5,000 jobs and directly saves $2.34 billion on electric bills through 2050. Billions more will be saved by holding down natural gas prices. These resources help family farmers and rural landowners stay in their homes or send their kids to college.

And things can get better. Just look south to Texas, where wind can save consumers $15 billion through 2050. By 2030, Texas will add $345 million in annual property tax revenue from wind and rural landowners will receive $145 million in lease payments each year. This benefits local services, schools, and health care facilities. Wind also helps Texas combat drought, saving over 40 billion gallons of water every year by 2030.

Performance-based tax incentives spur American ingenuity, leading to advances in wind turbine technology and costs that have fallen 66 percent in six years. These savings help keep more money in pockets of homeowners and businesses.

Building and operating wind farms produces more of our energy right here at home. Wind supports more than 73,000 jobs, and more than 86 percent of U.S. wind farms are located in Republican-represented congressional districts. This creates well-paying construction, manufacturing and maintenance jobs for fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters.

Even better, we’re just starting to tap this potential. Analysts predict wind can supply 20 percent of the United States’ electricity by 2030. Hitting that target with pollution-free wind energy will create 380,000 jobs.

However, without leadership from our elected officials, these benefits might never come. To continue this American success story, Congress must supply long-term, stable policy. The last time it didn’t, our economy lost $23 billion and 30,000 jobs.

Congress must renew the renewable energy Production Tax Credit this year, for as long as possible, to provide this American industry and its investors with a business environment geared toward success.

Transforming America’s energy sector to create a better tomorrow will require us to seek new partners, search for common interests and forge lasting relationships. America’s families share the same future, and the same risks. We owe it to ourselves and our children to work together to ensure continued prosperity in the coming years.

Combs is president and CEO of the Christian Coalition. Kiernan is CEO of the American Wind Energy Association.

The Christian Coalition believes America needs to develop its own energy resources for the sake of national security, economic health and the protection of our God-given resources. We need to support homegrown energy that will not run out and that puts Americans to work while returning dollars to our economy.

Nowhere is this issue more at the forefront than in Nevada, home to 6,000 stable, local solar-industry jobs that support families. But NV Energy, Nevada’s largest utility, wants to keep us tied to traditional fuel sources and ever-increasing energy bills. The utility is waging an attack on solar by attempting to levy extreme fees on solar owners.

This isn’t fair and isn’t in line with free-market American values. We must allow homes, businesses, public organizations and churches to create local power by installing solar.

In the ongoing debate between NV Energy and rooftop solar advocates, it’s clear that what’s good for Nevada is not what’s good for NV Energy’s bottom line. What’s good for Nevada is the continued development of Nevada energy resources — and there’s nothing more plentiful than the sun. If Nevadans want to contribute to the state economy and our energy future by installing solar panels, the monopoly utility shouldn’t be allowed to stop them.

The Public Utilities Commission needs to look out for Nevada families and the future of the state rather than giving in to NV Energy.

If you agree, mail your comment to the PUC at 1150 E. William St., Carson City, NV 89706, and reference Docket 15-07041.

The writer is the national energy director for the Christian Coalition of America.

With our values at stake, Christians need to play an active role in government like never before. As President of the Christian Coalition, I’ve urged people of faith to help shape policy that affects our everyday lives. One topic of importance in recent political discussions is energy independence. From the price of gas to the cost of powering our own homes, Americans understand just how much energy prices can constrain their monthly budget. Now, conservatives are looking at the issue not only in terms of cost but also in terms of being good stewards of our God-given natural resources. While it may seem surprising at first to hear a conservative speak up on this issue, it was President Ronald Reagan who famously said:

“What is a conservative after all but one who conserves, one who is committed to protecting and holding close the things by which we live…And we want to protect and conserve the land on which we live — our countryside, our rivers and mountains, our plains and meadows and forests. This is our patrimony. This is what we leave to our children. And our great moral responsibility is to leave it to them either as we found it or better than we found it.”

In keeping with President Reagan’s legacy, I urge our nation’s legislators to include solar in this year’s tax extenders package.

A critical tax credit called the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is the only federal incentive for solar power. It benefits Americans of all stripes by making solar installations significantly more affordable and creating well-paid jobs that can’t be exported. Unfortunately, it is set to expire at the end of 2016.

The United States is sitting at a crossroads when it comes to solar energy. Since the ITC was implemented, solar installations have grown significantly – by more than 1,600%. Market stability for solar companies has allowed the cost of solar to fall quickly. Now is not the time to change that trend.

Last year, one out of every 78 jobs created in America came from solar energy. These are stable, good paying jobs that benefit our families and bolster small businesses. But most importantly, solar energy is one of the best ways to pass on our nation’s treasured resources to future generations. For the sake of our families, include solar in this year’s tax extenders package.

Roberta Combs
President and CEO
Christian Coalition of America

Re: The Detroit News’ Nov. 29 editorial, “Energy plan secures power supply”: As the Legislature debates Michigan’s energy future, we have an opportunity to promote conservative values that will make businesses more competitive, create jobs and finally stop picking winners and losers. Legislators should embrace five principles for Michigan’s energy future:

■ Reduce waste: Michigan families and businesses have saved $4.2 billion since the state created its energy efficiency standard. The Legislature must hold utilities accountable, remove red tape and provide access to efficiency programs. Reducing energy consumption is far more cost effective than building new power plants.

■ Level the playing field: Current law rewards utilities for building new plants. The utilities pass the capital costs on to ratepayers and earn a generous return on investment. The Legislature is incentivizing the construction of new power plants without providing similar incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency. The winners are utility shareholders, not ratepayers.

■ Provide market certainty: Policies that ensure a diverse portfolio of natural gas and renewable energy go a long way to creating cost stability. This, combined with a strong energy efficiency program, will send a strong signal to investors that Michigan is open for business. Relying on utilities and bureaucrats to determine our energy mix fails to provide the certainty necessary to bring in investment, new businesses and jobs.

■ Produce energy locally: Most of the natural gas we consume comes from other states, and 100 percent of the coal we use is imported. We can stop the flow of billions of dollars and jobs out of state, while improving grid security by producing more of our energy in Michigan through wind, solar, hydro, biomass and digesters.

■ Protect ratepayers from price volatility: Conditions in the global market impact energy prices and our pocketbooks take a hit. Today, contracts for wind and solar are less than the price of natural gas. By requiring that a certain percentage of our energy comes from renewable sources, we can lock in these low prices and protect ratepayers from future price shocks that are certain with fossil fuels.

In a market where utilities enjoy monopoly status and guaranteed profits, it’s up to the Legislature to set the rules. Current proposals under consideration continue the status quo with ratepayers losing. Conservative lawmakers must seize this opportunity to turn conservative principles into energy policy that protects ratepayers and makes our state more competitive.

Keith den Hollander
Christian Coalition of Michigan

We acknowledge that as a nation, our economic security and energy security go hand in hand. The same is true for families across the country. In order to realize that security at the household level, Americans need an energy marketplace that is robust with options, innovation, entrepreneurs, and homegrown manufacturing that cannot be sent overseas.

There is a new threat to American families’ ability to realize their own household energy and economic security. Many utility companies across the country are trying to force their customers to pay higher and higher mandatory monthly fees, which result in electric bills going up even if people do not turn the lights on! American families deserve the right to maintain control of their energy options, and costs. When utility companies force customers to pay ever-higher mandatory fees, people lose that control. There are proposals to hike these fees in at least twenty-two (22) states, with more expected in coming months. These fees are bad for consumers, eroding widely shared American values of self-determination, fairness and efficiency.

Fortunately, utility commissions in most states are doing their job: protecting customers and helping to steer utility companies towards the future. In fact, most states have rejected the worst aspects of these proposals so far this year. One of the key battleground states on this issue is the state of Wisconsin, where the Public Service Commission, last year allowed two utility companies to force their customers into much higher mandatory monthly fees. There are now two more proposals pending, from Xcel and the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS). We will be making sure our members in Wisconsin learn about ways to speak up on the issue.

Americans deserve more renewable energy and energy efficiency options, not less. Homegrown renewable energy is a strong economic driver, attracting investment and creating jobs that cannot be sent overseas. Energy efficiency helps families lower their energy bills, keeping more money in the local economy in support of local jobs.

In their stubbornness to resist innovation and diversification, the utility companies, trying to hike these fees, are standing in the path to progress on economic and energy security. That’s why we are standing up for American families.

We will keep an eye on these proposals, and use our America’s Path to Progress newsletter to keep our members informed about how they can take action.

Roberta Combs
President and CEO
Christian Coalition of America

• Detroit Free Press – Keep Michigan Energy Clean and Local
• The Detroit News – Michigan Needs ‘All of the Above’ Energy Policy
• For God and Country, America Needs a Better Energy Policy
• Our Families Deserve Clean, Local Energy
• For God and Country, Indiana and America Need Better Energy Policies
• Energy Bill Is Good For SC Families
• Cincinnati Enquirer – Mike Brown Op-Ed: Portman bill would reduce energy costs
• The Hill’s Congress Blog – Roberta Combs Op-Ed: For the sake of America’s families, pass the energy efficiency bill
• Cincinnati Business Courier – Roberta Combs Op-Ed: We need ‘homegrown’ energy resources
• The Herald Bulletin (IN) – Roberta Combs Op-Ed: Homegrown energy will make America more secure
• MLive – Keith den Hollander: Conservatives Should Lead on Renewable Energy as Way to Protect God’s Creations