Ask candidates to support renewable energy

To the editor:

Growing up in Clarion, I remember when wind turbines began to dot the countryside and when businesses began to close their doors due to a struggling economy, how the talk of the town centered on the building of an ethanol plant in the nearby town of Goldfield and the jobs it would create.

Renewable energy is high on my list of priorities going into the upcoming caucuses. Iowa is a leader in wind energy and it remains imperative that we keep it that way.

In 2014, wind energy generated 28.5 percent of Iowa's electricity, ranking first in the country. MidAmerican Energy announced a plan to invest $900 million more in wind energy, also stating that it will help keep utility bills low as the cost of coal rises. The market will expand with or without us and I do not want to see us fall behind. Homegrown renewable energy sources will lessen our dependence on foreign oil, creating a more self-sufficient America. It will create jobs here at home.

To me, investing in renewable energy is a no-brainer; the bit about also protecting the environment is an added bonus. Caring for renewable energy means caring about prosperity in Iowa and I urge all of us to keep this issue in mind as we decide which candidate gets our vote in the years to come.

David Rout

Iowa City