Koch Brothers + 11 Other Special Interest Groups Wage War on Solar

[eridani]

http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/32871-koch-brothers--11-other-special-interest-groups-wage-war-on-solar

While American solar power has increased four-fold since 2010, state by state, utilities and powerful industry front groups have begun chipping away at key policies that helped spur this solar boom, according to the analysis, “Blocking the Sun: 12 Utilities and Fossil Fuel Interests That Are Undermining American Solar Power.”

“Fossil-fuel interests and their allies have been using the same playbook to undermine solar power across the country,” said Bret Fanshaw, the solar program coordinator for Environment America. “And they’ve largely been operating in the shadows.”

The playbook: a national network of utility interest groups and fossil fuel industry-funded think tanks provides funding, model legislation and political cover for anti-solar campaigns. The report examines five of these major national players—Edison Electric Institute, American Legislative Exchange Council, Koch brothers and their front group Americans for Prosperity, Heartland Institute and Consumer Energy Alliance.

Then, in state after state, electric utilities use the support provided by these national anti-solar interests, supplemented by their own ample resources, to attack key solar energy policies. The report features seven utilities—Arizona Public Service, Duke Energy, American Electric Power, Berkshire Hathaway Industries, Salt River Project, FirstEnergy and We Energies.

[djean111]

1. Because their investments are important, not the Earth.

They should have been diversified long ago. Now we are exhorted to feel bad for them. Nope.

[RKP5637]

2. Exactly!!! "They should have been diversified long ago." The US allows too much of this to go

on in the worshiping of $$$$$'s. They should be diversified because they are a threat to mankind's existence with their pollution agenda.

[Hortensis]

9. This is who the 158 families mostly funding 2016 are donating to.

138 to Republicans
20 to Democrats

Absolutely. Diversified and turned upside down and shaken good.

[RKP5637]

13. The US is so F'ed over, and I still think a good portion of the US population is

totally clueless and falls hook line and sinker for the bait.

[Hortensis]

14. Yes, but the wheel is clearly turning. Our grandparents fixed it once.

We trashed what they left us and created this mess, but we can fix it again for those who come after us.

And, yes. A lot of conservatives are naturally authoritarian followers who are more comfortable with a ruling class than without -- as long as they feel it is taking care of THEM well enough in return for their loyalty. The rest of us were appalled when the Kochs were outed, they were relieved to finally know who to look up to.

BUT, note that they haven't been taken care of well enough and are finally realizing the return on their imaginary bargain is betrayal. Only took some of them 40 years to realize they're being screwed, although the rest are apparently going for 50.

[RKP5637]

15. I think/hope so! There is, I think, a general awakening going on. Certainly Bernie and

The Donald have made this election more exciting for many. I have some wealthy friends that are really democrats, bordering left, and they vote republican, because they think the republicans are protecting their money.

In all other respects they are very nice individuals, but this drives me nuts. I don't even bring up the topic with them. ... but one of them has an offspring in an interracial marriage, and they were lamenting how the black guy was being discriminated against despite an incredible education and resume. Well, it was a WTF moment for me as I helped make them realize what the real world is like. I think it was one of those "sinking in" moments for them.

[Hortensis]

16. Hope it sticks, RKP. The general awakening you note should help.

[Fred Sanders]

3. I assume CBS "forgot" to ask the Koch's about this, seeing how much ad dough they get from Big Oil?

[Dustlawyer]

4. Corporate media doesn't talk much about alternative energy, ever notice that?

Entergy, the electric utility in my area does not pay the going rate for the excess power fed into their grid. They make that aspect of solar and wind a non-starter. Whereas up in the Texas hill country where there are plenty of electric co-opts who do pay the going rate for the power generated, solar is booming.

Not much is even being said by the Obama administration about the decrease in the tax incentives for solar that begin in 2016. It goes from 30% to 20% for the rebate on the costs and installation of the system. Why would we be lowering incentives now? Hmmm, I wonder?

[d_legendary1]

5. Not with all those "Energy" ads running 24/7

On various networks. The oil companies have to remind us how efficient burning fossil fuels is compared to every other alternative. And the media just cashes the checks. Everyone wins!

Except us...

[Dustlawyer]

7. Supplemented by a bunch of extra BP commercials so that the corporate media stays bought

so as to not report the truth of the Gulf oil spill litigation. These commercials insure that the suffering the victims are still experiencing will not be reported, at all. The commercials also prevent any reporting on how BP $600,000,000 "Common Benefit Fund" (bribe) that the Plaintiff's Steering Committee (PSC) gets if they go along with a terrible Class Settlement that delays and then denies 75% of the victims any money, but only as long as the PSC prevents the Class Settlement from being overturned on appeal.

The extra commercials are from their Alaskan operations, as far from the ruined Gulf as possible, especially considering that it has been 10 years since they caused the Alaskan Pipeline to leak from lack of maintenance.

How did we get to the point where our government, judicial system, and media all work together AGAINST the American people, yet most don't truly understand the extent of the corruption? I mean, most Americans know Congress is corrupt, but not how it affects them. We are like the frogs in the pot of water on the stove being brought to a boil. Well, it's boiling now!

Our only hope is Bernie Sanders, the only one running committed to Publicly Funded Elections (PFEs). PFEs attacks the root problem causing the corruption, the ability for corporations to buy our politicians, and judges, and protect their oligopolies in media and banking.

[ronnie624]

6. Nothing is more important right now, to human civilization,

than the rapid development of this technology, in my opinion. It would go a long way toward mitigating the damage of the impending climate disasters. These people, by their actions, clearly demonstrate the ignorance and barbarity of their capitalist worldview.

[Frustratedlady]

8. ...or, barbarity of their capitalist greed. Greed looms over all else with this bunch. eom

[ronnie624]

10. Greed is the prime mover of capitalism.

The two are absolutely inseparable. The whole point if it, is to accumulate more than is needed for a comfortable, secure existence, the very definition of 'greed'. It has to be removed, however, as a motive for economic activity, if we expect to survive the coming decades. The purpose of a modern, technologically advanced economic system, should be to provide for our civilization and drive advancement, not to enrich elites by concentrating material and capital resources in their possession.

[Frustratedlady]

12. I agree, totally. Their wealth ranks much lower than the safety of our physical home.

Fortunately, people in our area are moving forward with turbines and solar enhancements, tax incentives, or not. They say the tax incentives are more trouble than they are worth, so full speed ahead by cities linking together to get the job done, up and running.

The Kochs, and their ilk, hold little to no influence in most of our state. In fact, we ran them out of Coralville when they tried to take over the city government. Of course, the likes of Steve King and Her Highness, Le Bread Wrapper Ernst, has her hand out but I don't think people are too pleased with her. She isn't from around here, so I don't know how she's doing with her following. I did receive a couple emails from her recently, so she must be desperate...I am not in her league and she certainly is not in mine.

[Yavin4]

11. These guys make C. Montgomery Burns look like a saint

The creators of "The Simpsons" didn't make Burns evil enough