New Energy Can Be A Political Winner

It’s the economics: Red states embracing wind energy don’t do it for the climate

Sarah Mills, October 22, 2018 (The Converstion)

“…The federal government has never played a leading role in restricting the carbon footprint of the nation’s power plants. But now that the Trump administration is trying to dismantle many energy regulations, that national role is even smaller…Many states have been trying to fill this vacuum…and encourage the deployment of renewable energy like wind and solar power…[P]olicies have mainly taken hold along the East and West Coasts, where Democrats command a majority of the vote and concern about global warming is highest...[But] renewable energy is on the rise in not just Democratic strongholds and the “purple” states where leadership is bipartisan. It’s booming in some of the nation’s most conservative bastions…Many communities in these states < see renewable energy as an economic opportunity…

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Landowners earn money when they host wind turbines or solar panels…[It is] a drought-proof and pest-proof income stream…And solar and wind developers also often pay property taxes that fund government services, such as local public schools…[which is] a much-needed boost in areas that are struggling financially or losing population…94 percent of Democrats say they support [state-level mandates for New Energy] compared to 69 percent of Republicans – a 25-point gap in support…[But the] gap in support for increasing the use of wind or solar is much smaller: just 6 percentage points for solar energy and 10 percentage points for wind…[Those numbers show] that conservatives like wind and solar power. They just don’t want the government to tell them that they must use renewable energy…” click here for more

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