Ohio’s Lies About Wind And Solar

Green energy vs. coal: A secret campaign to convince Ohioans that wind and solar would kill jobs

Brad Wieners and David Hasemyer, October 29. 2017 (Inside Climate News via Cleveland Plain Dealer)

“…[After the 2008 financial crisis hit Ohio hard and greatly depressed energy demand, including the shale gas boom which benefited Ohio producers and made coal uncompetitive, political sentiment rose to gut the state’s] 2008 law designed to speed the adoption of solar and wind as significant sources of electricity…[F]ossil fuel interests mobilized at the national level to fight proposals to mitigate climate change that would undercut their profits…[By 2011, they had] made fighting clean energy policy in Ohio a priority and] a network of coal companies, utilities, think tanks, nonprofit foundations and political action committees coalesced to roll back Ohio's alternative energy initiatives…[Americans for Prosperity, a foundation funded by the energy magnates Charles and David H. Koch, the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group known for its criticism of climate change science, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative nonprofit in Washington with Koch ties, and others] donated to campaigns of state politicians backing repeal-and-replace bills while industry-supported] think tanks provided questionable research purporting to show big job losses…An industry group claiming to represent consumers -- and accused of using fraudulent tactics before regulatory agencies – advised…[political leaders] on how to water down the definition of alternative energy…” click here for more

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