Letter: It’s time to adopt a clean energy plan

Regarding the May 22 letter 'Why does Iowa need an energy plan?” by Fred Hubler:

Let's look at the data and see why it's time for Iowa to adopt a clean energy plan.

He says the case for wind and solar is collapsing. Demand from Iowans looking to save money on their electric bills with renewables is at an all-time high. Should we ignore the free market and eliminate the 28,000 renewable energy jobs in the state?

He mentions water quality suffering. If we're worried about water quality, why not have rules in place for what kind of chemicals are allowed into the soil that could leach into the water table?

He mentions rates rising fastest in areas with wind and solar. MidAmerican has some of the cheapest rates in the country and they do a lot of wind. Overall, there's just over 1,800 solar customers in the state compared to the more than 1.5 million utility customers in all of Iowa. How can .001 percent of solar customers affect the price for all others?

He mentions the best way to create jobs is to reduce taxes and energy costs. The irony here is that renewables do both. If you put solar on your house you can cut your tax bill by 45 percent of the project cost and eliminate most of your energy bill. Plus, you'll be paying another Iowan to install it so they can feed their family and grow our local economy. Seems like a win-win to me.

Leon Lewis

Fairfield