A Conservative Touts Renewable Energy

A conservative who advocates for renewable energy visited GOP lawmakers in Wisconsin this week. He’s trying to get them to consider greater use of renewables and so-called clean energy .

Michigan has raised its renewable portfolio standard, a requirement for utility electricity coming from renewable sources, to 15 percent.

Larry Ward helped lobby for that increase. He leads the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum. Ward saidthere’s a way to sell conservatives on locally generated wind, solar and other alternative energy.

“If you frame it up as a business entity, that renewables drive job creation, renewables bring prices down now, renewables are about energy independence for people — those are all pure conservative principles,” Ward said.

Ward met in Madison with some Republican lawmakers. Ward says conservatives should care about clean energy.

Ward also spoke at a renewables conference sponsored by the group RENEW Wisconsin, where Ward said conservatives and non-conservatives can find a way to work together on some energy policies.