Midterm Political Shift Means More New Energy

States lead the way on pivotal shift toward renewable energy after midterms; The election of pro-clean energy governors raises hopes of wind and solar industry sectors.

Mark Hand, November 18, 2018 (ThinkProgress)

The shift in the political balance at the state level following the midterm elections will produce far more benefits for the renewable energy industry — at least in the next few years — than the Democratic takeover of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to clean energy experts…Voters in several states elected Democratic governors in previously Republican-controlled states, shakeups that could lead to a more rapid advancement of clean energy policies. The Democratic Party also seized control of seven state legislatures, according to data from the National Conference of State Legislatures, a shift that could make it easier to pass laws favorable to renewable energy…

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…[Gregory Wetstone, president and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), called the midterm election’s outcome a ‘seismic shift’ in the political landscape…[Renewable energy standards and the establishment of clean energy incentives could gain even more momentum due to what happened in the governors’ races and in state legislatures, he predicted…Although renewables legislation used to be more bipartisan, Democrats have been far more likely to support renewable energy-friendly policies than Republicans since the rise of the Koch Brothers and other pro-fossil fuel political funders a decade ago…In the next Congress, there could be opportunities for the passage of bipartisan legislation, but nothing on the scale needed to adequately address the climate crisis…” click here for more

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