(PA Gov.) Corbett’s support for solar energy only skin deep
Thursday, June 07, 2012

When Gov. Tom Corbett came to Schuylkill Township two months ago and smiled for the cameras as he cut the ribbon on the eighth largest solar farm in Pennsylvania, he talked about the “symbiotic relationship” between solar energy and industry.

Corbett said the benefits of the $6.5 million Aqua PA power plant, established to run its Pickering Reservoir treatment plant, include “cheap energy for Aqua Pennsylvania and better air for area residents. We need to continue to develop cheap energy,” Corbett said. But Corbett told a different tale during a recent meeting with editors and reporters from newspapers operated by Digital First Media, including The Mercury.

...“I look at it this way, right now Pennsylvania is, if not the world leader, soon to be the world leader in energy,” Corbett told the Digital First Media panel. “Wind and solar is part of that, but primarily our energy is coal, natural gas, nuclear, water to a certain extent,” he said. “We’re trying to build our economy and you will see a different economy 10 years from now than you see right now based upon energy.”

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ALEC Says It Plans To Craft Legislation To Take Down State Renewable Energy Targets
By Stephen Lacey on Apr 24, 2012 at 1:30 pm

Two leading conservative political organizations say they are stepping up coordinated efforts to repeal state-level renewable energy targets.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — a “stealth business lobbyist” that works with corporate interests to help them write and implement “model” legislation — says it may soon start crafting laws designed to kill or weaken state targets for renewable electricity, heating and fuels.

ALEC has come under fire in recent weeks for its support of voter ID laws and the controversial Stand-Your-Ground law that opponents blame for the death of Florida teen Trayvon Martin. After progressive groups began an aggressive campaign to educate the public about ALEC, 13 companies have since pulled their membership from the organization.

Last July, Bloomberg News acquired tax documents showing that Koch Industries, Exxon Mobil and other energy companies paid membership fees to ALEC in order to help write legislation repealing carbon pollution reduction programs in states around country.
Bloomberg now reports that ALEC is looking to take aim at renewable energy programs in states:

ALEC, a group of state lawmakers and corporations recently criticized for its support of Stand-Your-Ground laws highlighted in the Florida shooting of Trayvon Martin, may write model legislation for state lawmakers to repeal or weaken the mandates later this year, said Todd Wynn, energy, environment and agriculture task force director for the group, in an interview. Stand-Your-Ground laws allows citizens to use force when threatened, even when they can retreat.

The group may also develop an “energy freedom” index that ranks states based on regulation, market intervention and taxes.
ALEC has already attempted to write legislation preventing targets for renewable energy on ...