Des Moines, IA—Joined by farmer, religious, public health, and environmental organizations, Environment Iowa, the new home of the Iowa Public Interest Research Group’s (Iowa PIRG’s) environmental work, released a new report showing that clean energy policies could save Iowa consumers over $1.086 billion on energy costs, create over 5,000 new jobs while reducing fossil fuel pollution by 2020.
“Our economic modeling confirms that clean energy will boost jobs, wages and consumer savings,” said Nathaniel Baer, policy advocate with Environment Iowa. “Now it’s time for the Legislature to act so that our economy can tap our vast potential for wind, solar and biomass.”
The new report, Redirecting Iowa’s Energy, proposes that Iowa take leadership by adopting 21st Century clean energy policies – specifically adopting a 20 percent clean renewable energy standard by 2020 and investing $100 million in energy efficiency programs. Not only would these policies avoid the environmental and public health dangers from Iowa’s current dirty energy mix, but also they would benefit Iowa’s consumers and economy.
Pursuing clean energy policies would lead to significant emissions reductions, including 11% for carbon dioxide, 9% for soot-forming sulfur dioxide, and 8% for smog forming nitrogen dioxide, all under 2002 levels.
Even better, clean energy policies stand to benefit consumers and the economy. Using economic and energy data and forecasts from state, federal, and third party sources, Environment Iowa’s analysis shows that clean energy policies could:
• Save consumers up to $1.086 billion cumulatively by 2020.
• Create 5,166 net jobs by 2020, with an annual average of 3,061 jobs between now and 2020.
• Boost wages by $37 million in 2020.
“The health and environmental benefits of clean energy are crystal clear, and now the job and consumer benefits are too” said Baer. “Clean energy policies are the ultimate ‘wind, win, win.’”
To move toward a clean energy future, Environment Iowa calls on the state to adopt a renewable energy standard, also known as a renewable portfolio standard or RPS. This policy would ensure that 20% of Iowa’s electricity comes from clean, renewable sources by the year 2020.
Environment Iowa was joined by Senator Joe Bolkcom, Assistant Majority Leader and Chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, who said “it is time for Iowa policymakers, and Iowans, to have a discussion about what our plan is going to be to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly the renewable path of establishing a standard of 20% by 2020 in terms of electricity generation is a sensible approach that will create jobs and create new technologies.”
“I’d point to the renewable fuels effort that we passed last year for ethanol,” Senator Bolkcom continued. “We said in that important area that we ought to have standards and we ought to have benchmarks to try and meet. It seems to me that the same kind of thinking ought to be applied to our generation of electricity”
Chris Petersen, board president of the Iowa Farmers Union, said “our organization is a firm believer that renewables are the future. We’ve got to find ways to keep more money in rural Iowa and this is a potential gold mine.
“Iowa gains enormous economic development potential, such as more jobs in manufacturing and servicing wind turbines,” said Gregg Heide, board member of the Iowa Farmers Union. “A new renewable electricity standard should be targeted to encourage small, locally owned projects.”
“The energy policies we put in place today will impact our State for many decades. Our policies can capture the water, soil, air, climate and economic benefits of clean energy or can take a “business as usual” approach, focusing on short term profits with little or no consideration for nature and the future,” said Ed Woolsey, of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“We need a significant expansion in the development of clean, renewable electricity. Iowa’s spirit of entrepreneurship and our renewable energy resources make for an excellent partnership between government and the private sector,” said Michelle Kenyon Brown, executive director of I-Renew. “Let’s construct clean energy on-ramps to our electric grid that are accessible, affordable and available today.”
Environment Iowa was also joined by Neila Seaman from the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, Jessica Zopf from American Lung Association of Iowa, Craig Stark from Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, and Ray Heinicke from Iowa Interfaith Climate and Energy Campaign.
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Environment Iowa is a non-profit, non-partisan environmental advocacy organization and is the new home of Iowa PIRG’s environmental work.
