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Charles Koch saboteur of clean energy

• The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) connects state lawmakers with corporate
  lobbyists to create model legislation. Koch foundations also fund ALEC. The corporate “bill mill” has approved model legislation to repeal or weaken renewable energy standards, eliminate solar net metering policies, and restrict markets for solar power.

How Charles Koch Prevents Clean Energy Businesses From Succeeding,  TruthOut 02 September 2015 By Matthew Kasper, Republic Report | News Analysis Last week, President Obama correctly singled out the Koch brothers – Charles and David – and the Koch-funded network for standing in the way of America’s clean energy future. Charles Koch responded saying he was “flabbergasted” after hearing Obama’s remark. He continued, “We are not trying to prevent new clean energy businesses from succeeding.” This statement is, at best, highly misleading.

Charles Koch states that he believes government should be smaller and it should not subsidize businesses, including any form of energy business. But while he acknowledges that the fossil fuel businesses he owns benefit tremendously from government subsidies, he doesn’t refuse those benefits or do anything to stop those policy choices.  Meanwhile, the Kochs use their political influence and funding for efforts to repeal laws designed to support the deployment of more renewable electricity. Specifically, their political network’s agenda includes weakening renewable energy standards, preventing customers from installing solar panels (by charging fees on people that go solar), and protecting the government monopolized electric utilities.

The facts are indisputable.

Note: For more background, read this full briefing on the Koch’s web of influence across American society.

Here are the facts:

• Arizona Public Service Company (APS), the largest electric utility company in Arizona, admitted that it worked with the 60 Plus Association, a Virginia-based nonprofit seniors advocacy group receiving Koch money, to support the utility company’s proposal to add fees on homeowners with solar panels. Here is anadvertisement paid for by 60 Plus Association attacking solar energy in Arizona.

• 60 Plus Association is now working with the utility companies in Florida to preserve the status quo and the state’s outdated business model, and prevent customers from purchasing electricity from third party solar companies.

• The Koch founded and funded Americans For Prosperity (AFP) worked to prevent Georgia’s Public Service Commission from requiring Southern Company to buy more solar energy. An Associated Press review found AFP used misleading figures to pressure the regulators. The commissioners ignored AFP and as a result, Southern Company has gone on a “solar spree” bolstering its renewables portfolio the past two years.

• Americans For Prosperity has also worked in Kansas and North Carolina to repeal, weaken, or freeze those states renewable energy standards. In 2013, AFP flew Willie Soon to Kansas where he testified in front of state legislators that global warming isn’t a problem as part of AFP’s attempt to completely repeal the renewable energy standard. James Taylor, from the ExxonMobil and Koch-funded Heartland Institute, attended an AFP event the same year to increase support for repealing the state’s standard, and he also testified against the law. Furthermore, Koch Industries’ lobbyist Jonathan Small worked behind the scenes in the repeal efforts. Small held private talks with Representative Dennis Hedke (R-Wichita) about legislation to eliminate the law. In 2015, the standard waschanged to a voluntary one after legislators threatened to impose an excise tax on wind energy. Mike Morgan, a lobbyist for Koch Industries, joined Rep. Hedke and Jeff Glendenning of AFP at the announcement.

• Additionally, Koch-controlled foundations approved grants for Art Hall, director of the University of Kansas’ Center for Applied Economics, to research the state’s renewable energy standard. Lee Fang at The Intercept writes, “The Koch money was part of an ongoing project Hall described as an effort to develop “intellectual products” to be used “as a tool in economic policy debates… Following his grant request, Hall testified before the Kansas legislature in 2014 in favor of repealing the state renewable energy portfolio.”

• In North Carolina, AFP is again working this year to pressure lawmakers to repeal the state’s renewable energy standard. AFP started phone banking and canvassing to encourage voters to call their state officials and urge a vote.

• The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) connects state lawmakers with corporate lobbyists to create model legislation. Koch foundations also fund ALEC. The corporate “bill mill” has approved model legislation to repeal or weaken renewable energy standards, eliminate solar net metering policies, and restrict markets for solar power.

• Koch funding has also flowed to the Beacon Hill Institute and the Utah State University’s Institute of Political Economy/Strata (a private consulting firm run by Randy Simmons, a former “Charles G. Koch Professor of political economy). The two organizations have produced flawed reports (see here and here) in attempts to justify efforts to repeal renewable energy standards. The reports, however, have been thoroughly debunked.

• The Koch funded Institute for Energy Research (IER), founded in 1989 from a predecessor non-profit organization registered by Charles Koch and Robert Bradley, have attacked clean energy laws. In Ohio, for example, IER’s Daniel Simmons testified in favor of repealing the state’s renewable energy standard. The President of IER is Thomas Pyle, who had been a lobbyist for Koch Industriesearlier in his career.

September 18, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, climate change, politics, USA