Wyoming bill would all but outlaw clean energy by preventing utilities from using it

Coal supporters are pushing a bill that would bar utilities from using the state’s abundant wind power to provide electricity within the state. While many U.S. states have mandates and incentives to get more of their electricity from renewable energy, Republican legislators in Wyoming are proposing to cut the state off from its most abundant, clean resource—wind—and ensuring its continued dependence on coal. Zahra Hirji of InsideClimate News has the details. A new measure submitted to the Wyoming legislature this week would forbid utilities from providing any electricity to the state that comes from large-scale wind or solar energy projects by 2019. It’s an unprecedented attack on clean energy in Wyoming, and possibly the nation. And it comes at a time when such resources are becoming cheaper and increasingly in demand as the world seeks to transition to clean energy to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. The bill’s nine sponsors, two state senators and seven representatives, largely come from Wyoming’s top coal-producing counties and include some deniers of man-made climate change. They filed the bill on … Continue reading Wyoming bill would all but outlaw clean energy by preventing utilities from using it