Green tea: clean-energy conservatism as a countermovement

Figures & data

Table 1. State bills that weaken support for solar energy and net metering (2013–2015, Republican and Split legislatures).

State	Party control	Year	Bill	Sponsor	Description	House vote	Senate vote
AR	HR SR	2015	HB 1004	1R	Allows payment to net metering customers at avoided cost rate	83–1	24–4
AZ	HR SR	2015	SB 1465	4D, 21R	Adds requirements for solar financing contracts (opposed by solar industry)	54–0	26–2
KS	HR SR	2014	S Sub for HB 2101	Judiciary Comm.	Payment to new DG customers reduced to avoided cost, authorizes interconnection fee, but existing net metering customers extended to 2030 (compromise legislation)	112–12	39–0
LA	HR SR	2013	HB 705	1R	Restrictions on and sunset of solar tax credit	84–8	39–0
LA	HR SR	2015	HB 779	1R	Additional restrictions on solar tax credit	91–9	34–5
MT	HR SR	2015	SJR 12	2R	Authorizes study of costs and benefits of net metering	69–31	42–6
NV	HR SR	2015	SB 374	1R	PUC authorized to allow fees and end transfers from non-DG to DG customers, but cap on solar increased (compromise legislation)	41–0	21–0
OK	HR SR	2014	SB 1456	2D, 9R	Authorizes monthly charge for DG energy and prohibits ‘subsidization’ of DG customers by non-DG customers	83–5	41–0
TN	HR SR	2013	HB 62 (SB 1000)	1R 2D, 1R	Adds property tax to solar- and wind-generating facilities (some compromise with solar industry)	85–1	31–0
UT	HR SR	2014	SB 208 SS	2R	Authorizes study of DG connection fee	65–0	26–0
WV	HR SR	2015	HB 2201 (SB 1)	7D, 4R (4D, 15R)	Limits ‘cross-subsidization’ of DG by non-DG customers; orders PUC to investigate net metering (House amendment passed after governor veto)	75–11	25–6

Note: HR: Republican control of House; SR: Republican control of Senate; DG: distributed generation; PUC: public utilities commission; party sponsor is coded for the number of sponsors and party (e.g. 2D, 9R means that the bill had nine Republican and two Democratic sponsors).

Table 2. State laws that strengthen support for solar energy and net metering (2013–2015, Republican and Split legislatures).

State	Party control	Year	Bill	Sponsor party	Description	House vote	Senate vote
AR	HR SR	2013	HB 2019	1R	Allows a limited amount of net excess generation to roll over to the next month on a net metering customer’s account	91–0	34–0
AZ	HR SR	2014	HB 2403	SE	Clarifies depreciation law for solar equipment; reduces tax liability of solar firms that use federal stimulus funds	58–1	25–2
AZ	HR SR	2014	SB 1484	3R	Tax credit for manufacturing companies with on-site renewable energy (mainly aimed at recruiting a firm and allowing solar)	34–21	27–1
CO	HD SR	2015	HB 1284	17D, 2R	Expands eligibility for participation in community solar gardens	38–26	26–9
CO	HD SR	2015	SB 254	19D, 12R	Extends deadline for solar renewable energy credits for municipal utilities	64–0	34–0
FL	HR SR	2013	HB 277 (SB 1064)	3D, 2R (1R)	Allows property tax exemption for solar panels; partially implements 2008 ballot initiative	119–0	39–0
GA	HR SR	2015	HB 57	1D, 5R	Authorizes third-party financing for solar	155–0	51–0
IA	HD SR	2014	SF 2340	Ways and Means	Increases amount of solar tax credit and triples size of the program	90–4	46–0
IN	HR SR	2013	HB 1374	1R	Provides additional tax options for net metering customers	97–0	46–0
ME	HD SR	2015	LD 1652	16D, 3R	Sets goals for solar energy development and authorizes a report on the value of solar	103–39	NR
ME	HD SR	2015	LD 1263	5D, 5R	Directs PUC to develop stakeholder process for determining value of solar as successor program to NM	119–28	32–3
MO	HR SR	2013	HB 142	1R	Exempts solar energy not held for resale from property tax but phases out solar rebates (partly favorable to solar)	147–4	31–2
NE	U	2013	LB 402	1D	Adds solar, landfill gas, and biomass to sales tax exemption previously for wind for community-based economic development	43–0	NA
NE	U	2015	LB 424	4D, 1R	Adds solar, landfill gas, and biomass to property tax exemption previously for wind and replaces with nameplate capacity tax	47–0	NA
NH	HD SR	2013	SB 98	8D	Establishes virtual or group net metering	VV	VV
NH	HD SR	2014	HB 1600	1D	Facilitates reporting requirements for small net metering generators	VV	VV
NM	HR SD	2015	HB 296	1R	Expands solar market tax credit to leased systems	63–0	35–6
NM	HR SD	2015	SB 391	1D	Solar market tax credit	39–24	37–5
SC	HR SR	2013	HB 3644 (SB 525)	7D, 8R 5D, 3R	Renames ‘renewable’ to ‘clean’ energy tax credit, extends, and facilitates access to the credit	78–18	34–7
SC	HR SR	2014	SB 1189	6D, 10R	Utilities must have 2% from solar by 2021 with cost recovery provisions, new NM to be replaced with value of solar, leasing allowed	86–0	42–0
UT	HR SR	2014	SB 166	2R	Amends ‘renewable energy source’ in renewable energy contracts definition to require it to be located within the state (favors local wind and solar)	69–1	27–0
UT	HR SR	2014	SB 224	2R	Extends renewable energy tax credit to commercial systems using solar energy	67–6	28–0
TX	HR SR	2015	SB 1626 (HB 3539)	1D (1D)	Allows homeowners to purchase solar panels during the development stage of if the housing development has more than 50 houses	136–8	28–2
VA	HT SR	2013	HB 1695	12D, 12R	Establishes net metering program for eligible agricultural customers	94–3	40–0
VA	HT SR	2013	HB 1917	2D, 2R	Expands renewable thermal electricity to include solar	93–2	33–7
VA	HT SR	2013	HB 2334 (SB 1023)	3R (2D)	Develops pilot program for third-party financing	96–1	40–0
VA	HR SR	2014	HB 1239 (SB 418)	6D, 5R (2R)	Exempts from property tax solar equipment, facilities, and devices by classifying as pollution control devices	93–6	40–0
VA	HR SR	2014	SB 222	2D	Clarifies and restricts ability of community association from prohibiting a property owner from installing solar devices	95–4	37–0
VA	HR SR	2015	HB 1950 (SB 1395)	5D (2D)	Increases maximum capacity for nonresidential net metering producers	92–6	38–0
VA	HR SR	2015	HB 2267 (SB 1099)	3D, 4R (1D, 1R)	Creates the Virginia Solar Development Authority	81–17	38–1

Note: Party control.

HT: House tie control; HD: Democratic control of House; HR: Republican control of House; SD: Democratic control of Senate; SR: Republican control of Senate; U: unicameral; NA: not applicable; NR: not reported on the state government bill tracker; SE: strike everything amendment makes initial sponsors irrelevant; VV: voice vote.

Table 3. Common frames of clean-energy conservatives.

Category of frame	Percent	Description
General policy frames
JE	36	Job creation, economic innovation and competitiveness, and general economic benefits such as local tax revenue
AC	41	Affordability (consumer and business), consumer protection and choice, reliability of electricity grid
SI	24	Opposition to the power of the special interests, specifically the utilities and the fossil-fuel sector
Conservative frames
NS	24	Promote national security and energy independence, including for the military
SG	11	Reduce government spending, taxation, size, bureaucracy, and mandates
FM	20	Support the private sector, competition, and market-based policy instruments
Air quality and climate-related frames
AH	25	Benefits from reducing the pollution associated with fossil fuels
CC	22	Explicit mention of climate change and/or the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Average (all 3 frame types)	25

Note: Percent is of all statements analyzed from clean-energy conservative organizations (N = 152) in which the frame or group of frames appeared at least once.

JE: Jobs and economy; AC: affordability and consumer interests; SI: special interests of the opposing side; NS: national security; SG: small government; FM: free market; AH: air quality and health-related benefits from clean air; CC: climate change; CS: climate skepticism.

Table 4. Frames of clean-energy conservative and comparison organizations.

		General policy frames			Conservative frames			Air quality and climate frames
Organization type and name	N	JE%	AC%	SI%	NS%	SG%	FM%	AH%	CC%	CS%
Evangelical
Evangelical Environmental Network	20	25	0	15	5	0	15	40	60	0
Cornwall Alliance	20	10	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	90
Foundations
ClearPath Foundation	20	40	55	0	30	10	15	30	15	0
Heritage Foundation	20	25	35	5	5	40	40	0	0	45
National
ConservAmerica	20	20	10	0	5	5	25	20	75	0
Americans for Prosperity	20	55	65	10	0	30	10	0	0	10
National Youth
Young Conservatives for Energy Reform	20	80	40	0	80	5	5	75	20	0
Young Conservatives	20	0	5	0	0	10	5	0	0	100
Solar
Floridians for Solar Choice	11	27	100	73	0	9	9	18	0	0
Consumers for Smart Solar	14	7	86	79	0	7	0	0	0	0
State-level
Conservatives for Clean Energy (NC)	8	63	50	13	25	0	38	0	0	0
North Carolina Republican Party	10	60	50	40	20	10	0	0	0	0
Total
Clean-energy conservatives	99	41	36	12	26	5	16	35	34	0
Comparison Conservatives	104	24	39	17	3	17	11	0	0	46

Note: Percentage of documents (N) in which the frame appears at least once. The clean-energy conservatives appear in Roman, and the comparison organizations are in italics.

JE: jobs and economy; AC: affordability and consumer interests; SI: special interests of the opposing side; NS: national security; SG: small government; FM: free market; AH: air quality and health-related benefits from clean air; CC: climate change; CS: climate skepticism.