Chamber Calls on Lawmakers to Protect Renewable Energy Investment
CHAMBER CALLS ON LAWMAKERS TO PROTECT RENEWABLE ENERGY INVESTMENTS
Local Chamber Leader Susan Munroe Cites “Staggering” Economic Development Opportunities for Communities in Ohio’s Wind Corridor
As the Energy Mandates Study Committee today released recommendations on Ohio’s renewable energy and energy efficiency policies, local chamber leader Susan Munroe asked the governor and policymakers to remember how important these investments are to communities in Ohio’s “wind corridor.”
“We want our elected officials to know that local chambers of commerce, particularly those of us in the wind corridor, know how important these investments are to rural Ohio communities,” said Susan Munroe, President and CEO of the Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce, and member of the Advisory Council of Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE).
Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is a national network of local chambers of commerce that recognize the economic development opportunities of clean energy.
“Our county was struggling before wind energy came to our community,” Munroe said. Then, in 2011, Iberdrola Renewables invested $600 million in the Blue Creek Wind Farm—the single largest investment in the state that year.
Today, Munroe added, the Blue Creek Wind Farm pays Van Wert $2 million annually in local taxes and nearly as much in landowner lease payments—with public schools being the primary beneficiaries.
In another project, Apex Clean Energy acquired the rights to develop the Long Prairie Wind Farm in Van Wert—a project that could deliver $800 to 900 million to the county.
“Apex is ready to go. They’re ready to invest. They’re just waiting on Ohio to get it together,” said Munroe.
“That’s more than $1 billion in prospective investments in our county from renewable energy,” she added. “Let’s not lose this staggering economic development and job growth opportunity to another state due to legislative uncertainty. We look to our governor and policymakers to protect these investments for us.”
Local Chambers of Commerce Welcome Clean Energy Options in Clean Power Plan
Call on States to Make Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy a Strong Part of State Plans
The National Advisory Council of Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy, a network of more than 400 local chambers of commerce, issued the following statement today about the release of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan:
“As local chamber leaders, we recognize that energy efficiency and renewable energy deliver real economic development opportunities to communities like ours across the nation. We welcome their inclusion in the Clean Power Plan and strongly encourage state leaders to include energy efficiency and renewable energy as big elements of our state plans.
“We will hope our state policymakers will develops a plan that benefits local economic development, minimizes economic hardship on businesses and consumers, and allows for flexible compliance opportunities.
“From technologies that make our electric grid smarter and more reliable to advanced batteries and more efficient buildings, clean energy is creating new market opportunities for our member businesses.
“While we look forward to better understanding the details of the Clean Power Plan, we are clear in our desire to see energy efficiency and renewable energy as critical components of the plan.”
Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy Advisory Council:
Steve Clark, President & CEO, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, AR
Doug Luciani, President, TraverseCONNECT, Traverse City Area Chamber, MI
James A. Heeter, President & CEO, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, MO
Cathy Bennett, Vice President, Public Policy and Programming, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, MO
Susan Munroe, President and CEO, Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce, OH
Ryan Evans, Vice President of Business and Community Relations, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, UT
Christy Gillenwater, President & CEO, Southwest Indiana Chamber, IN
John Threadgill, President & CEO, Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, TN
John Tayer, President & CEO, Boulder Chamber of Commerce, CO
Angelique Espinoza, Public Affairs Director, Boulder Chamber of Commerce, CO
Marc Jordan, President & CEO, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, SC
Kelly Thompson Clark, President and CEO, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, MA
Sarah Kennedy, Director of Government Affairs, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, MA
Bob Linscheid, President & CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, CA, Co-Chair of CICE Advisory Council
Aaron Nelson, President & CEO, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, NC, Co-Chair of CICE Advisory Council
Diane Doucette, Executive Director, Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy
Local Chamber Leaders from Across the Nation* Respond to the Clean Power Plan
*Including Arkansas, California, North Carolina, Utah, Ohio, South Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri, Michigan, Colorado and Tennessee
Members of CICE’s Advisory Council offered these statements on the day of the release of the Clean Power Plan:
“Innovation and increased access to clean energy is the future, and it is the responsibility of local chambers to help small businesses make money in a changing energy landscape.”
Aaron Nelson, Co-Chair of CICE Advisory Council | President & CEO, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, NC
“The Salt Lake Chamber has helped make clean air and energy efficiency a priority in Utah because the energy business is a $5.3 billion industry in our state. We’ve seen the bottom line benefits to companies that implemented energy efficiency programs. Our population will also double in the next 30 years, and we expect that about 60 percent of energy needs can be met with energy efficiency investments.
Ryan Evans, Vice President of Business and Community Relations, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, UT
“Clean energy plays a role in lowering operating costs, it plays a role in innovation, and it plays a role in creating new jobs.”
Bob Linscheid, Co-chair of CICE Advisory Council | President & CEO, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce,CA
“In the 21st century, if we do not have clean, efficient energy usage, we do not have a good mix from an economic development perspective.”
Steve Clark, President & CEO, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, AR
“We know firsthand how clean energy projects area boon to the local economy. Our county was struggling before wind energy came to our community. Now the Blue Creek Wind Farm, pays $2 million annually in local taxes and nearly as much in landowner lease payments—with public schools being the primary beneficiaries.”
Susan Munroe, President and CEO, Van Wert Area Chamber of Commerce, OH
“We have two choices as a country: invest in growing our clean energy technology and markets now, or risk ceding this market and its employment opportunities to other countries. We believe American business is ready to lead on clean energy.”
Marc Jordan, President & CEO, North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, SC
“The Kansas City Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in our community—we are supported by 2,400 member businesses—and we know energy efficiency and renewable energy is good for business. It is good for job creation and good for growing fiscal vibrancy in the state and region.”
Cathy Bennett, Vice President, Public Policy and Programming, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce,MO
“Everything we can do is what we should do in terms of energy efficiency, energy diversity, and really looking at what is the next generation of energy. This, in my opinion, is why chambers really exist: We should be the ones that are thinking about what’s going be the demand in 10 years. And for our chamber, energy is at the top of that list because we don’t where it’s going to come from, we don’t know how much it’s going to cost. And, when you put it in context with all those other things that businesses are worried about, it could be the thing that tips the whole scale to where businesses are just not competitive in our region. So energy efficiency really matters.”
Doug Luciani, President, Michigan’s TraverseCONNECT (Traverse City Area Chamber)
“American businesses are ready to lead the world in clean energy and as a local chamber leader we strongly encourage our state leaders to include energy efficiency and renewable energy in our state plans.”
John Threadgill, President & CEO, Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce, TN
“Clean energy is already driving economic growth and creating thousands of jobs in communities across the country. With further investment, it will offer an affordable and reliable source of power throughout the country.”
Sarah Kennedy, Director of Government Affairs, Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, MA
“We know that energy efficiency and renewable energy bring economic benefits to our community. We want to make sure energy efficiency and renewable energy are included in the Clean Power Plan and we want to make sure that businesses that have taken early action are credited for that.”
Angelique Espinoza, Public Affairs Director, Boulder Chamber of Commerce, CO
Shortly after the EPA announced the release of the finalized Clean Power Plan rule on August 3rd, 2015, CICE released the above statement of support. The statement gained coverage from multiple news outlets including the Kansas City Star and the Triangle Business Journal, quoting CICE’s Advisory Council members.
Click here to see a sampling of media coverage from CICE’s statement on EPA’s Clean Power Plan.