Could state and local governments really ban a free and planet-friendly source of energy? While it sounds preposterous, activists in Oklahoma are lobbying for their governor to do exactly that.
A group of protestors in Oklahoma recently filled the state’s capitol building for a “Stop the Green Energy Scam” protest. The point of the demonstration was to demand Republican governor Kevin Stitt issue an executive order to ban new solar and wind installations in the state. The protestors were greeted and addressed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who bragged that the heat they were enjoying in the building was brought to them by “good old-fashioned oil and gas.”
Oklahoma is third in the nation in wind energy production, and the state currently gets 47 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. The state’s electricity is 17 percent less expensive than the national average, according to the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce. Governor Stitt has indicated in the past he’s solidly behind new wind energy development. The governor also signed an agreement with Denmark to collaborate on wind energy development.
According to a story in Heatmap Plus, the rising rancor for renewables is partly a direct pushback to President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which includes many provisions to transition to a clean energy future. Additionally, the hope to ban renewables is based on misinformation, like the erroneous notion that wind turbines cause health issues.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
