In response to an error-filled report released yesterday by the Sierra Club, entitled “Clean Energy Under Siege,” the American Legislative Exchange Council felt the need to release the following statement and brief fact check.
The American Legislative Exchange Council is not against renewable energy in any form. ALEC has state legislative members that are very supportive of the renewable energy industry. In addition, ALEC has private sector members that represent renewable energy technologies and even more private sector members that work with and supply products and services to the renewable industry as whole.
ALEC’s stance on renewable energy has been very clear. ALEC believes that free markets in energy produce more options, more energy, lower prices and less economic disruptions. Also, ALEC believes that mandates to transform the energy sector and use renewable energy sources place the government in the unfair position of choosing winners and losers, keeping alive industries that are dependent on special interest lobbying. ALEC opposes mandates and therefore opposes infighting among fuel sources. ALEC also believes that government programs designed to encourage and advance energy technologies should not reduce energy choices or supply. They should not limit the production of electricity, for example, to only politically preferable technologies.
ALEC fully supports voluntary efforts to expand and advance renewable energy and does not discourage the marketing of “green” power and “green” pricing such that willing buyers and sellers of renewable energy sources are free to negotiate the terms and conditions of such sales, and no technology or class of technologies is given an unfair competitive advantage.
Sloppy research, half-truths and fabrications are found throughout the Sierra Club report. The report shows the very partisan approach and, unfortunately careless, nature behind the Sierra Club’s publications. It is important to point out some the glaring errors regarding the references to ALEC and the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force within ALEC.
Sierra Club Claim: “In May, ALEC invited a Who’s Who of anti-clean energy advocates to a meeting in Charlotte to plot strategy.”
Fact Check: This is demonstrably false. The American Legislative Exchange Council has three conferences a year for its members to discuss pressing public policy issues affecting the states. One of these three conferences is our Spring Task Force Summit which was held in Charlotte, NC on May 11-12. Our private sector members who attended this conference consist of a wide variety of industries including renewable energy companies. Our agenda for the meeting covered many topics that are of interest to our state legislators from agriculture policy, smart grid deployment and what causes gas prices to streamlining permits for solar installations.
Sierra Club Claim: “Before that, he [Todd Wynn, Director of the Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force at ALEC] worked for another ‘free market think tank,’ the American Tradition Institute.”
Fact Check: Mr. Wynn has never been on the staff at the American Tradition Institute. He like many of the other fellows of ATI serves in an unpaid advisory capacity to the ATI staff
Sierra Club Claim: “After joining ALEC in 2011, Wynn attended a seminar sponsored by ATI Fellow and wind energy opponent and Koch Industries ally, John Droz. Jr. At this meeting along with approximately 30 other individuals, Droz and Wynn discussed anti-wind-energy strategy and a national public relations planning document sought to use ‘subversion’ in order to destroy the wind industry.”
Fact Check: Mr. Wynn was invited to a meeting by John Droz Jr. as were other energy policy experts throughout the U.S.but Mr. Wynn never attended any such meeting with John Droz Jr.. nor was he involved in any of the planning or discussions of any anti-wind strategy or public relations planning document.