Business leaders demonstrate support for Clean Energy Jobs act, denounce WMC ads

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

From a news release from Advocates for Creating Renewable Energy, a coalition which includes RENEW Wisconsin:

Madison, Wis. – One day before the State Senate is scheduled to hold public hearings on the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Wisconsin business leaders are criticizing attack ads run by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and demonstrating their support for the legislation, highlighting the bill’s potential to create jobs, boost our economy, and foster energy independence.

Business leaders responded to radio ads released last week by the special interest organization Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC), which use flawed facts and figures to create the perception that the Clean Energy Jobs Act will actually hurt Wisconsin’s economy, when the vast majority of studies demonstrate the bill will provide an economic boon for the state.

“WMC’s deceptive advertisements would have you believe that putting Wisconsin residents to work transitioning toward clean, homegrown energy sources will somehow hurt our economy,” said Dionne Lummus of Wave Wind, LLC. “The real drain to our economy, however, is the nearly $20 billion our state spends on dirty out-of-state fossil fuels every year.”

WMC relies on a November 2009 study conducted by the Beacon Hill Institute and the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute to support its claims. However, that study relied on models that are not unique to the Clean Energy Jobs Act and analyzed several provisions not even included in the bill.

“Wisconsin residents deserve a fair and accurate presentation of the facts,” said Tom Green, Project Development Manager at Wind Capital Group.

Despite WMC claims that CEJA will cost Wisconsin jobs, conservative models generated by a collaboration of non-partisan state organizations estimate that the legislation will actually create at least 15,000 jobs in the state