Ohio SenateWhat did he just call you?
The Koch-backed American Legislative Exchange Council has been failing miserably in its nationwide push to roll back states’ renewable electricity standards. But that isn’t stopping Ohio state Sen. Bill Seitz (R) from persisting in trying to undermine the renewable energy rules in his state.
Seitz recently introduced legislation that would water down five-year-old state rules requiring utilities in Ohio to sell renewable power and invest in energy-efficiency measures. One of his bill’s provisions would revoke a rule requiring half of renewable energy sold by utilities to be generated within the state, but that proved extremely controversial, so he says he’s about to release an amended version of the bill that would delay instead of revoke that rule.
If you still don’t dig Seitz’s legislation, even after he’s gone to all the trouble of amending it, well, then he has some strong and odd words for you. From The Columbus Dispatch:
Opponents say the bill is a giveaway to electric utilities and large businesses at the expense of the state’s “green” economy.
Seitz described the bill’s opponents as “the usual suspects,” a group that he said includes “enviro-socialist rent-seekers” who depend on government mandates, while he said its supporters include a wide array of businesses and labor groups.
Hey, that’s some intelligent discourse! But guess what, Seitz, you’re behind the times, even by right-winger standards.
ALEC is reportedly shifting away from attacks on renewable electricity standards. Greentech Media reports that the group’s new target will be net-metering rules, which require utilities to purchase excess solar power produced by their customers. One such attack was recently repelled in Arizona, leaving net-metering rules there largely unscathed. But now it sounds like more such attacks are on their way.
Oh, and name calling. We can safely assume that more of that is on the way as well.
