In the wake of U.S. mid-term elections November 4, renewable energy advocates are debating what to expect from Republican state legislators who might still lend their support to clean energy development.
“In many ways, we lost one strong supporter in the Senate [Colorado Sen. Mark Udall], gained a strong set of new Republican and Democratic governors who are clean energy advocates, and are pretty much even keel in the House of Representatives,” writes Scott Sklar, President of The Stella Group and Chair of the Sustainable Energy Coalition Steering Committee.
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“Will the Republican leadership in Washington, DC grandstand on the Keystone pipeline? Yes. But can they succeed in undercutting the grassroots Republican clean energy support out beyond the Washington, DC beltway? No.”
Sklar lists several state governors who’ve gone on record supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency. But in the comments on Sklar’s post, James Leavenworth argues that several of those governors are much more consistent in their commitment to oil and gas or nuclear. REWorld contributor Susan Kraemer agrees that “you have to judge based on actions, not words on websites,” adding that—with the exception of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstead—“these Republicans are doing nothing to advance clean energy.”
