Cap Times Links Kochs' ALEC To State's Energy Policy Fail

Thanks to Mike Ivey for moving this important story forward. 

The Guardian is reporting that ALEC is pushing to block clean energy initiatives nationwide, from penalizing homeowners who install rooftop solar panels or small scale wind farms to weakening state renewable portfolio standards (RPS).

In place in about half the states, including Wisconsin, the RPS standards mandate that a certain percentage of electric generation come from renewable sources. Wisconsin’s RPS is 10 percent by 2015, with most of the state’s electric utilities already meeting the requirement. 

Details of the ALEC energy strategy were released as the group gathered for its  
policy summit in Washington D.C. this week.

Walker and other state and national elected officials have signed a 'no-new-carbon-tax pledge pushed by the Koch brothers that helps these leading conservative political funders protect their fossil-fuel businesses.

Though many large US corporations know such a fee is coming - - to save the planet where they want to continue to sell their goods - - despite what the Koch brothers are trying to do for themselves, reports the New York Times.

More about ALEC, here. 

High-profile Wisconsin GOP officials have long been members of ALEC, including Tommy Thompson and Scott Walker. 

Also playing key ALEC roles - - current Walker-appointed PSC chairman Phil Montgomery is a former ALEC legislator of the year, and State Sen. Leah Vukmir, (R-Wauwatosa), a current ALEC board officer embroiled in a lawsuit over communications with the group.

Amazing, but also somewhat depressing, that a British newspaper is leading nationally on the ALEC story.