New Coalition Looks To Grow Conservative Support For Renewable Energy

A new conservative group aims to build more support for renewable energy projects among Wisconsin Republicans.

Former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson is among those joining the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum, which launched Wednesday.

Executive Director Scott Coenen, said he wants to reframe the discussion around solar, wind and other renewable energy sources to reach conservatives who have been reticent to consider them.

“It’s an argument about economic development. It’s an argument about job creation,” Coenen said. “A lot of these sites are going to be up in very rural areas in Wisconsin, places that could use economic development and job creation.”

Coenen said the price of renewable energy is increasingly competitive with fossil fuels, and that adding more wind and solar will complement Wisconsin’s changing energy portfolio.

“Wisconsin is one of the leaders in anaerobic digesters, biodigesters on farms,” he said. “We’ve been deploying that technology for the better part of 10 years. That’s something that Wisconsin has led on and can continue to lead on.”

The group is organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and doesn’t plan to register as a lobbying group.

Instead, Coenen said it will focus on highlighting the potential economic and job benefits from renewable energy projects.

Almost 20 states have similar groups, according to the Conservative Energy Network.