Renewable Energy as a Political Issue

Texas leads the country in wind energy production, but it, and other conservative states, continue to resist efforts to promote the switch to renewables.

2 minute read

April 3, 2022, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Texas Wind

RoschetzkyProductions / Shutterstock

"The states that are most deeply integrated into the existing fossil-fuel economy, either as producers or as consumers, tend also to be the places that are most resistant to, and separated from, the major demographic, cultural, and economic changes remaking 21st-century American life," writes Ronald Brownstein. "The majority of them rank near the bottom among the 50 states in the share of their residents who hold four-year college degrees, are foreign-born, or work in occupations tied to the new digital economy, according to census figures."

These states also take other socially conservative positions such as abortion restrictions, book bans, and limited LGBTQI rights. Besides highlighting America's cultural divide, this trend, according to Brownstein, "shows how difficult it will be to establish any consensus for national action to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy sources, despite the mounting evidence that climate change threatens all regions of the country (and the world)."

Yet some of the most conservative states are also some of the nation's biggest clean energy producers, with Texas leading the country in renewable energy projects. Brownstein describes how political leaders often stand in the way of incentives that would boost the renewables economy and create jobs in their states.

"The bipartisan infrastructure bill that Biden signed last year included several provisions designed to channel jobs in the clean-energy economy toward places that would be hurt by diminished reliance on fossil fuels, such as coal communities," but the plan remains stalled in Congress.

Renewable energy has grown steadily as a source of power in the U.S. In December 2021, nearly 24 percent of electricity came from renewable sources, up from 19.4 percent in December 2020. Brownstein questions how long, given the economic realities of fossil fuel supplies and energy production, the transition to clean energy can remain a politically divisive issue.

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in The Atlantic

Chicago Intercity Rail

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects

Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

September 25, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Google maps street view of San Francisco alleyway.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’

A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

September 26, 2023 - Fast Company

Google street view of yellow "End Freeway 1/4 mile" sign on 90 freeway in Los Angeles, California.

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing

A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

September 26, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Traffic on the 405 interstate freeway through the Sepulveda Pass at Getty Center Drive in Los Angeles, California

Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads

If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog California

Late evening view of downtown Minneapolis skyline with stone bridge in foreground

Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years

The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.

3 hours ago - Minnesota Public Radio

Close-up of vertical PARK sign on multistory urban parking garage.

NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums

Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.

4 hours ago - StreetsBlog NYC

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.