Des Moines Register | Waylon Brown, January 29, 2025
Gov. Kim Reynolds said it best during her Condition of the State address: “Iowa has always benefited from looking forward — to anticipating future needs and getting ahead of the curve. Energy is a clear example.”
Our state’s demand for energy is significantly increasing as AI and other technologies continue to emerge. The responsibility to address these needs is a state issue.
Clean energy is a part of the all-of-the-above approach to ensure our grid remains resilient and energy prices remain affordable while meeting the needs of emerging industries. These are issues that can’t simply be left to 99 localities. The power grid serves the entire state and beyond, and the solution to energy reliability and affordability lies in creating a partnership between the state and counties to streamline permitting for clean energy.
Part of the governor’s plan to address the rise in energy demand is to pursue more nuclear energy, and as she said, the horizon is long. Clean energy plays a critical role in bridging the gap until more nuclear power comes online.
Forethought should be given when considering our energy independence and economic success, and clean energy is at our fingertips to accomplish both. Homegrown, clean energy is the cheapest form of energy to deploy; it strengthens our national security; and it attracts business.
Iowa was the first state to adopt a renewable portfolio standard, propelling us to lead the country with the highest share of electricity produced by renewable energy, ultimately serving as a magnet for business — from manufacturing to data centers. However, many states are jockeying for our position. For us to remain a beacon for business, we must solve the roadblocks to permit cleaner energy projects across the state.
Clean energy not only spurs economic growth at the state level, it’s also the top taxpayer in a third of Iowa counties. In the other counties that host wind and solar projects, it’s the second- and third-highest taxpayer. Tax revenue from clean energy projects bolster rural economies by supplementing schools, funding infrastructure improvements, and providing support for fire and rescue. Clean energy lowers the tax burden for every single Iowan.
Policies, ordinances, and regulations that hinder any effort to provide tax relief for Iowans should not be accepted at any level of government. But that’s what’s happening. In more than half the counties in the state, counties have put up barriers to lowering taxes.
The governor encourages all-the-above energy resources to generate millions in tax revenue for communities, and it’s time for everyone to follow suit.
Read the original article here.