Advancing Smart, Hopeful Public Policy

by | Jan 13, 2021 | Featured, News

We live in a time of great hope and promise. The 2020 election season, which finished in Georgia a week ago yesterday, was fair, transparent, and saw a record number of Americans participate. A clear majority of Americans chose a policy agenda centering racial and environmental justice that can move our country and world forward into a just and abundant future. While there are dark forces that are undermining and defiling our most sacred democratic institutions, we are called to stand against these forces with our profound sense of hope and a deep commitment to justice. 

An example of hopefulness happened on Monday at the Des Moines City Council. Members voted unanimously to adopt an ambitious city-wide clean energy resolution. The resolution’s passage makes Des Moines the first city in Iowa to commit to 100%, 24/7 clean energy and adds the city to the list of more than 170 nationwide that have enacted 100% clean energy goals.  

“We are proud of the leadership demonstrated by the Council and Mayor tonight in making Des Moines the first city in the U.S. to commit to 24/7 clean energy,” said IEC’s Energy Program Director Kerri Johannsen. “That means no coal, no fracked gas, and no fossil fuels in the electricity delivered to Des Moines residents by 2035. This goal puts us on the right path to address the challenges of climate change – it is both aggressive and achievable, and will help Des Moines attract and retain sustainability-minded businesses and residents.” 

We are proud to partner with the Iowa Environmental Council and their 100% Iowa project. They are bringing together and empowering Iowans to advocate for 100% clean energy generation. Stay tuned as they work with other communities across the state to help their citizens advance clean energy resolutions. 

The Iowa Legislature opened this week. The session looks to be a combination of in person, distancing, action, and streamlining. You can follow debate and committees through live feeds on the Iowa Legislature’s website. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/

Our partners will help us identify and organize opportunities for environmental action. You can find updates including action alerts and registration for environmental lobby day on the Iowa Environmental Council’s website: https://www.iaenvironment.org/get-involved/legislative-landing. State tax credits for solar energy development across Iowa are one of the policy develops we’ll be following.

We go into this session with three years of building a broader clean energy coalition. In 2018 we lost ground with energy efficiency. We played defense in 2019 and won by stopping a bill that would have derailed support for solar energy. Last year we won by passing a law that protected investments in distributed solar energy—like the solar panels installed at homes, farms, small businesses, and houses of worship. We are working with a broad, bi-partisan coalition to advance Iowa’s leadership in clean energy.

We will also be delivering Called to Uphold Our Values & Upheave Injustice: 2020 Iowa Interfaith Statement on Climate Action to elected leaders in early February. Please sign on so your elected leaders will see your name. Stay tuned for how you can provide additional support by sending an email to all of your elected leaders drawing their attention to the fact that Iowans of faith and conscience are called to climate action, and we expect our elected leaders to use smart public policy to advance that action.

As we reject despotism, racism, and white supremacy, we can create the world we want: one in line with our moral values of justice, peace, and love for our neighbors and all of Creation. These are indeed hopeful times, but only if we continue to invest in making them so.  

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