Branstad’s energy plans mixed signals

By Chuck Isenhart

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Recently, I participated in a meeting with fellow legislators from around the country involved in the Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now (CLEAN).

We heard about the U.S. military's institutional efforts to “go green” as a first step in the Department of Defense's recognition that energy dependence is a national security risk. Energy diversity is imperative, especially in light of the global disruptions caused by weather disasters brought on by climate change, change accelerated in part by our overuse of greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuels.

The concerns of our military chiefs are shared by Americans. According to a recent Gallup Poll, 83 percent of respondents want Congress to pass an energy bill that provides incentives for using solar and other alternative energy sources. So I was pleased that Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, in his “Conversation on the State of American Energy,” recognized that Iowa should have a comprehensive, balanced, sustainable energy strategy that supports national security, focuses on creating jobs in Iowa and protects the state's environmental resources.

However, I question the governor's plan to eliminate Iowa's office of energy independence without a clear structure and policy in place to carry on this vital work.

I also question the spending plan Gov. Branstad has apparently embraced. House Republicans propose to gut the appropriations that make state government a meaningful stakeholder and investor in energy job creation initiatives. These include the Power Fund and the Grow Iowa Values Fund, as well as the business incubator and technology transfer programs at our public universities. Considering that energy is one of the six industry clusters identified for promotion by the Iowa Innovation Council (on which I serve), the proposed cuts are contradictory at best.

To date, the House's main contribution to the dialogue on energy has been a bill that puts all of our energy eggs in the nuclear basket. Meanwhile, the leadership in the House of Representatives is sitting on bills that would advance energy efficiency, natural gas vehicles, biomass, industrial cogeneration, high performance public buildings, solar energy and other alternative and renewable sources of clean energy.

At the governor's energy summit, energy efficiency was mentioned only in passing.

Despite these contradictory signals, I look forward to working with the Branstad administration and putting Iowa back to work with a comprehensive plan to secure Iowa's clean energy future. This is what Iowans want.

Chuck Isenhart of Dubuque represents House District 27. Comments: charles.isenhart@legis.state.ia.us.