U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks last week visited the Chevron Renewable Energy Group biorefinery in Newton alongside fellow Republican members of the Conservative Climate Caucus, whose mission is to find “practical and exportable answers” to reducing emissions and making energy more affordable.
For the past three months, Miller-Meeks has served as chair of the Republican-led caucus, which was founded in June 2021 by U.S. Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah. Miller-Meeks told reporters outside Chevron REG that in order to meet the goals of the caucus, the United States needs abundant and reliable energy.
“Energy demand is going up and will require all of the above energy sources, any of the above, as we reduce emissions,” Miller-Meeks said. “Our goal as members of the Conservative Climate Caucus is to do just that. Lower emissions to have a cleaner, healthier planet while we compete economically around the globe.”
Miller-Meeks suggested Iowa is already making a difference, noting that more than 50 percent of Iowa’s energy is renewables and more than 60 percent of the state’s electricity is powered by wind. She added that Iowa is a net exporter of energy, meaning its total energy exports are greater than its total imports.
In addition to ethanol and biodiesel, Iowa frequently uses wind, solar and bio mass for energy resources, among many others.
“We’re already a model for other states, but what’s more important is we’re using the natural resources we have,” Miller-Meeks said to Iowa Public Radio. “We do have wind. We do have solar. We grow crops. The best way to sequester carbon is to grow things. And so we do that here.”
According to the Conservative Climate Caucus website, the caucus helps bring “Republicans to the table to fight against radical progressive climate proposals that would hurt our economy, American worker and national security.” Miller-Meeks said there is a price to be paid for what the Biden administration is doing.
“We want to bring practical, innovative solutions and affordability and accessibility into the market,” Miller-Meeks said, later noting the caucus’s views on climate differ from the Biden administration’s in that they prefer “market-based solutions” and policies that encourage innovation, research and development.
Especially if energy companies are utilizing already existing energy sources while simultaneously lowering emission. Miller-Meeks also claimed the caucus is not favoring certain industries but rather “looking at all of those industries and how do we meet energy demand,” which only continues to rise.
“So how do you meet that energy demand? We have an administration, the Biden-Harris administration, that’s actually taking energy offline,” Miller-Meeks said. “The EPA has a power plant rule that would take about 30 percent of natural gas and coal-fired plants offline within the next decade.”
Coal plants are widely considered the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. E&E News, an American news company covering environmental and energy issues, reported in 2022 that coal was responsible for 22 percent of the country’s electricity production and 60 percent of its carbon dioxide emissions.
Still, Miller-Meeks criticized the Biden administration’s climate agenda, especially the tailpipe emission rule unveiled this past spring, which some argue is pushing the auto industry towards electric vehicles. Miller-Meeks claimed the rule would require 66 percent of the vehicles in the country to be electric in eight years.
“But yet no plan to bring energy on board,” Miller-Meeks said.
Most Popular
Comments / 0