As GOP Pushes Bill to Kill Wind & Solar, Grassley Says Wind is Key to Energy Independence

Washington, D.C. –  On Friday, GOP Senator Chuck Grassley told Donald Trump wind energy was key to American energy independence, even as Grassley and his fellow GOP Senators face an upcoming vote that could cede that independence. Republican Senators like Grassley will soon vote on a bill that will gut clean energy manufacturing in industries like wind, which provides 60% of Iowa’s electricity. 

Climate Power Communications Director Alex Glass issued the following statement: “Republican Senators know that clean energy makes us less dependent on foreign oil, is a critical tool for American energy independence, and that it keeps utility costs low. Chuck Grassley is just the latest GOP Senator to highlight this. So the question remains: if clean energy keeps us energy independent, lowers costs, and creates jobs, why are Republican members of Congress backing a proposal that would kill it?”

Republican Senators’ On-the-Record Support for Clean Energy: 

• Sen. Chuck Grassley represents Iowa, which has seen 5 new clean energy projects announced since the IRA, creating more than 1,100 new jobs. Grassley’s own campaign website touted him as a champion of wind energy, noting that his work on clean energy had “fostered U.S. energy independence, displaced foreign oil, and attracted IT jobs from Google, Microsoft, Meta (Facebook), and IBM to data centers in Iowa communities.

• Sen. Thom Tillis represents North Carolina, which has seen 34 new clean energy projects announced since the IRA, creating 17,515 new jobs and attracting $20.72 billion in investment. Tillis has said he is “proud of our work in NC to be a leader in promoting renewable energy,” and praised investments in his state’s clean energy economy.

• Sen. Susan Collins represents Maine, which has over 15,000 clean energy jobs and the fastest-growing clean energy economy in New England. Collins has vowed to “reduce greenhouse gas emissions and spur the creation of clean energy jobs” in her state.

• Sen. Jerry Moran represents Kansas, which has seen 5 new clean energy projects creating over 21,000 jobs since the IRA. Moran celebrated Panasonic’s De Soto investment for “bring[ing] thousands of good-paying, high-quality jobs to our state.”

• Sen. John Curtis represents Utah, which has attracted 10 new clean energy projects since the passage of the IRA, creating 4,326 new clean energy jobs. Curtis has claimed that provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act are “actually Republican priorities” and warned that a full repeal could lead to “significant disruptions” and weaken the United States’ standing on the global stage.

• Sen. Shelley Moore Capito represents West Virginia, which has seen 7 new clean energy projects creating 5,768 jobs since the IRA. Capito has emphasized job creation benefits and praised projects’ potential to “transform and spark development” in rural communities.