The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...

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The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Energy & Environment 2021
                                                                                        The policies, the projects, the players, the impact
                                                                                                                                                     Table of Contents
                                                             Honest leadership, private sector innovation are key to an energy policy                                     Combatting climate change by revitalizing our
                                                             that benefits households and reduces emissions ......................................3                       nation’s infrastructure ...............................................................................19
                                                             Governor Tate Reeves                                                                                         U.S. Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney
                                                             Natural gas is critical to our cleaner energy future ...................................4
                                                                                                                                                                          Rebound must be fueled by comprehensive energy infrastructure ............20
                                                             U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito
                                                                                                                                                                          U.S. Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
                                                             Innovation is the political sweet spot for climate solutions ......................5
                                                             Rich Powell, ClearPath                                                                                       Time to deliver the Postal Vehicle Modernization Act ................................21
                                                                                                                                                                          U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman
                                                             Natural gas infrastructure plays essential role in
                                                             our low carbon energy future                                                                                 Waste-to-Energy: Proven renewable baseload power
                                                             Innovating today to meet our customers’ energy needs tomorrow ............................6                  solution to combat methane emissions ......................................................22
                                                             Donald “Blue” Jenkins, Washington Gas
                                                                                                                                                                          Jimmy Morgan, The Babcock and Wilcox Company
                                                             No need to raise taxes to fund infrastructure and
                                                             protect the environment ............................................................................8        Conversations about climate must include farmers ...................................24
                                                             U.S. Sen. Rick Scott                                                                                         U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik

                                                             Shuttering the U.S. energy renaissance will hit                                                              Don’t fix what’s not broken: keep energy policy with renewables
                                                             American families’ finances .......................................................................9         that doesn’t slash jobs ...............................................................................25
                                                             U.S. Sen. John Boozman                                                                                       U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman
                                                             Our commitment to a clean,resilient energy future ...................................10
                                                                                                                                                                          Environmental protection and individual liberty can coexist,
                                                             Karen Harbert, American Gas Association
                                                                                                                                                                          look to the Lowcountry ..............................................................................26
                                                             Agriculture should be in the driver’s seat on carbon policy .......................12                        U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D.
                                                                                                                                                                          Critical minerals, critical for our future .....................................................27
                                                             Iowa leading the way in investment, increased production,                                                    U.S. Rep. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S.
                                                             energy independence .................................................................................13
                                                             U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst                                                                                         Economy-destroying climate plans target nonexistent ‘crisis’ ...................28
                                                             There is no climate emergency                                                                                James Taylor, The Heartland Institute
                                                             We love CO2 and so should you ..........................................................................14
                                                             Gregory Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition                                                                           Trust America’s innovatory spirit to protect the environment,
                                                                                                                                                                          grow the economy ......................................................................................30
                                                             Our communities are counting on bipartisan                                                                   U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith
                                                             work, not a war of words ...........................................................................16
                                                             U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio                                                                                        Florida’s fight for clean, safe water and its ripple effect ...........................31
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                                                             Shortsighted energy policies gamble Louisianans’                                                             U.S. Rep. Brian Mast
      WASHINGTON

                                                             livelihoods, environment ............................................................................17
                                                                                                                                                                          If you want to build it, streamline environmental regulations ...................32
                                                             U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy
                                                                                                                                                                          U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert
  A SPECIAL

                                                             Support U.S. economic well-being,
                                                                                                                                                                          Power the future with an all-of-the-above energy solution ........................34
| THE

                                                             not undermine it, with energy policy .........................................................18
                                                             Whip Steve Scalise and U.S. Rep. August Pfluger                                                              U.S. Rep. Debbie Lesko
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                                                Tony Hill                                        Larry T. Beasley                  Thomas P. McDevitt                  David Dadisman                       Patrick Crofoot
                                                                                                Director of ADvertising                          ceo                               chAirmAn                            generAl mAnAger                      grAphics supervisor
                                                                                                & integrAteD sAles
                                                                                                                                                 Christopher Dolan                 Joseph E. Teipe, Jr.                Lea Anne Foster
                                                                                                Advertising Department:                          presiDent &                       executive vice                      speciAl sections
                                                                                                202-636-3027                                     executive eDitor                  presiDent                           freelAnce eDitor
                                                             SPECIAL SECTIONS                   Special Sections are multipage tabloid products that run in The Washington Times daily newspaper and are posted online and in PDF form on its website. Sponsors and
                                                                                                advertisers collaborate with The Times’ advertising and marketing departments to highlight a variety of issues and events. Unless otherwise identified, Special Sections
                                2                                                               are prepared separately and without involvement from the Times’ newsroom and editorial staff.
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Honest leadership, private sector innovation
       are key to an energy policy that benefits
         households and reduces emissions
                                            on the principles of what’s best for the    sectors in the U.S. economy and a major       serious strategy – or an honest attempt
                                            American economy and for emissions          competitive advantage for our country.        to reduce emissions.
                                            reductions. Problems are solved through     The recently proposed, so-called Made             We need honesty out of Washington
                                            public policy’s ability to spur private     in America Tax Plan, is actually pretty       and that starts with admitting that do-
                                            investment and innovation.                  transparent in laying out President           mestic oil and clean-burning natural gas
                                               One area in need of investment is        Biden’s intention to destroy the oil and      are permanent parts of our energy sec-
                                            carbon-free nuclear power. In the 1970s,    gas industry. Under Biden’s plan, doing       tor. Our objective is to make using and
                                            power companies across the country          business in Iran would be easier than         transporting energy a cleaner endeavor
                                            built more than 100 nuclear reactors that   doing business in the U.S. Why would          than it is today – not pretending this
                                            have provided as much as 20% of our         we want to go back to relying on the          industry will or even could just go away.
                                            country’s electric power. The effort was    Middle East for our energy supply?            Our economy depends on it.
                                            an enormous economic boon for the              Thousands in my small state of Mis-            If it will make the Democrats feel bet-

By Governor Tate Reeves

A
               fter years, the debate on
               energy and climate is
               somehow lacking serious-
               ness. If the White House
               and Congressional Demo-
               crats were being transpar-
ent about their intentions, they’d admit
their climate policy agenda has two
main goals: destroying the U.S. oil and
gas industry and increasing government

                                                                                                                                                                                       A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
spending on favored projects, financed
by higher energy costs on American
households and businesses.
   While the Democrats seek to incite
panic, missing is the recognition of just
how fundamental energy is to every-
thing in the economy. Let’s look at the
facts. The U.S. is the world leader on                   In the case of energy and climate change, serious policy solutions
energy not only in economic terms but                    should be based on the principles of what’s best for the American
also in environmental gains - for now at
least. Why are we the leader in envi-
                                                        economy and for emissions reductions. Problems are solved through
ronmental gains? It’s because the robust                  public policy’s ability to spur private investment and innovation.
American economy innovates and finds
new, cleaner solutions.
   But that truth is too inconvenient for   country, and still employs many thou-       sissippi work in the oil and gas industry.    ter to hear from someone on their side
liberal Democrats in Washington. They       sands in high-paying jobs. These plants     For the many young adults working in          of the aisle, they should remember and
use climate policy as a cover for their     have long lives but are nearing the end     the business making $70,000 or more           ponder the words of Democratic strate-
real intent – destroying the hydrocar-      of their useful service.                    per year for their families, simply telling   gist James Carville, “It’s the economy,
bon industry and raising taxes to spend         If the Democrats were actually          them to go seek another job with similar      stupid.” Biden’s policies may be good for
money on pet government projects.           serious about emissions reductions,         wages is not feasible.                        his liberal friends, but not so much for
   The majority of Americans know           wouldn’t you expect they’d be urgently         But tax increases on oil are not Presi-    the environment or the economy.
that raising taxes on employers so          working on the new generation of            dent Biden’s only harmful decree. He has
that Congress can grow a government         nuclear power plants to replace the         stopped construction on the Keystone          Tate Reeves is the 65th Governor of Mis-      | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021
spending account is neither good public     old ones that are closing? They are         Pipeline that would bring petroleum           sissippi. In his State of the State address
policy nor is it likely to go far toward    not. Rather, their priority for energy      down the center of our country to the         on Jan. 26, 2021, Gov. Reeves described
solving problems.                           is to tax oil and gas companies out of      refineries on the Gulf Coast. He also has     Mississippi as “unconquerable,” not-
   To borrow a line from President          business and to balloon spending by         stopped offshore oil and gas exploration.     ing that its citizens continue marching
Reagan, “Government is not the solution     doling out over $300 billion to subsidize   Both of these moves will result in higher     forward though they’ve “been tested
to our problem, government IS the prob-     electric vehicles and build more wind       emissions. Products not transported by        by every force of nature, disease, and
lem.” Real solutions are driven by the      and solar projects. While these tech-       pipeline will be transported by trucks        human frailty.” He touted that Missis-
private sector through innovation, not      nologies certainly have a place in the      and trains instead. As we know, energy        sippians have “improved our educa-
through regulation and higher taxes. In     mix, relying on them exclusively is not a   not produced in the U.S. is imported          tion, and we’ve shown the world that
the case of energy and climate change,      serious strategy.                           through big tankers travelling overseas.      we’re open for business.” He is a hus-
serious policy solutions should be based        Energy is one of the highest value      More emissions, not less. His is not a        band and father to three daughters.           3
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Natural gas is critical to our
                                                                                                  cleaner energy future
                                                                                                          more remarkable is that these reductions       Tell that to the Keystone XL pipe-          address climate change together though
                                                                                                          took place during a time when produc-       line workers.                                  innovation and technology.
                                                                                                          tion increased by more than 70%.               Where are their clean energy jobs?              Sadly, President Biden’s climate exec-
                                                                                                             By the way, a huge part of reduc-        Do they get a new clean energy job             utive orders really alienated key players
                                                                                                          ing those emissions was through the         tomorrow? Next month? Next year?               in the solution. That’s not a way to build
                                                                                                          development of natural gas pipelines,          Coal, natural gas, oil, solar, wind,        unity. That’s picking winners and losers.
                                                                                                          which most environmentalists don’t          nuclear, biomass: our country has been         That’s pitting American jobs against
                                                                                                          even want built!                            incredibly blessed with a variety of           each other. That’s creating resentment.
                                                                                                             On top of this, President Biden          energy resources, and using all of them            This country has always risen to
                                                                                                          installed Gina McCarthy and John Kerry      keeps America safe and running.                every challenge we’ve faced. This
                                                                                                          as his climate czars. Both are unaccount-      Natural gas, in particular, burns           climate challenge is no different.
                                                                                                          able to Congress and have made clear        cleaner, moves safely and efficiently          Through American ingenuity, we will
                                                                                                          they’re the ones in charge of the admin-    in our world-class national pipeline           find solutions.

                                                             By U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito

                                                             A
                                                                            ccording to the U.S. De-
                                                                            partment of Energy, if the
                                                                            Appalachian region were
                                                                            an independent country, it
                                                                            would be the third-largest
                                                                            natural gas producer in the
                                                             world. Job creation and economic growth
                                                             through the natural gas industry cannot
                                                             be overstated. It’s why I’ve pushed so
                                                             hard to create a natural gas storage hub
                                                             in West Virginia.
                                                                 Sadly, natural gas growth faces
                                                             tremendous headwinds over the next
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             four years.
                                                                 Despite calls for “unity,” in some
                                                             of his first actions President Biden
                                                             managed to kill thousands of jobs
                                                             and paralyze America’s energy in-
                                                             dustry with executive orders. The
                                                             Biden moratorium on new oil and gas
                                                             leases on federal lands is an economic,
                                                             energy, and national security disaster
                                                             rolled into one.
                                                                 This order moves America from
                                                             energy independence back to relying on
                                                             foreign adversaries for energy—coun-
                                                             tries that have much laxer environmen-
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                                                             tal standards. This action is indicative
                                                             of the incoming climate agenda that will
      WASHINGTON

                                                             have drastic impacts on our nation’s
                                                             energy sector.                                               Coal, natural gas, oil, solar, wind, nuclear, biomass: our country
                                                                                                                          has been incredibly blessed with a variety of energy resources,
  A SPECIAL

                                                                 The forces against natural gas are
                                                             growing. And they’re against natu-                               and using all of them keeps America safe and running.
| THE

                                                             ral gas, nuclear, or any other energy
                                                             source that’s not blessed by the Green
                                                             New Deal.                                    istration’s ambitious climate agenda.       network, and is an essential feedstock         Senator Shelley Moore Capito, West Vir-
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                 Ironically, Democrats are targeting          By claiming every policy issue          for several domestic supply chains like        ginia Republican, is the Ranking Member
                                                             natural gas production and use it as a       touches climate, McCarthy and Kerry         medical supplies, which are critical now       of the Senate Environment and Public
                                                             primary target for additional legisla-       have broad jurisdiction do their bid-       more than ever during this pandemic.           Works (EPW) Committee and serves
                                                             tion and regulation though increased         ding. They’ve made no secret of their           Environmentalists fighting against nat-    on the Appropriations Committee; the
                                                             natural gas production actually helped       ultimate goal: banning fossil fuels. In     ural gas can’t see the forest for the trees.   Commerce, Science, and Transportation
                                                             lead to significant reductions in green-     fact, Kerry suggested folks should “Go      Eliminating natural gas from our energy        Committee; and the Rules and Adminis-
                                                             house gas emissions.                         work on solar panels.”                      mix will lead to higher utility costs and      tration Committee. She is the first female
                                                                 The U.S. oil and gas industry reduced        I have great skepticism when I hear     less reliability — just ask California.        elected in West Virginia to the U.S. Sen-
                                                             emissions by nearly 2% between 1990          this administration talk about giving           Renewables can’t power our country         ate and with the largest margin of vic-
                                                             and 2018. A 24% reduction in methane         industry time to transition and giving      at 100% of the time, and battery tech-         tory for a Republican in state history.
                                4                            emissions is impressive, but what is         workers clean energy jobs.                  nology can’t fill the gaps. But, we can
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Innovation is the political
                            sweet spot for climate solutions
                                             reality is simply this: unless we limit,          The Energy Act modernizes and               It reinvigorates advanced nuclear
                                             and reverse, the rapid growth of emis-        refocuses DOE’s research and develop-       energy by formally authorizing the
                                             sions in the developing world, which          ment (R&D) programs on the most             Advanced Reactor Demonstration Pro-
                                             now accounts for the majority of emis-        pressing technology challenges — scal-      gram started during President Trump’s
                                             sions and future emissions growth, we         ing up clean energy technologies like       administration. And, you can’t run those
                                             will not solve this challenge.                advanced nuclear, long-duration energy      reactors without advanced fuel – it also
                                                Solutions to climate change must be        storage, carbon capture, and enhanced       creates a temporary program to provide
                                             technologically realistic, economically       geothermal. Crucially, across all of        high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel.
                                             feasible, and politically sustainable. To     these technologies, DOE is empowered            The new law establishes a compre-
                                             reduce global emissions as quickly and        to launch the most aggressive com-          hensive grid scale storage demo pro-
                                             cheaply as possible, better cost-effective    mercial scale technology demonstra-         gram, effectively authorizing the Energy
                                             clean technology is necessary so the          tion program in U.S. history – setting      Storage Grand Challenge that Secretary
                                             developing world will consistently            up more than 20 full commercial scale       Brouillette launched at DOE last year
                                             choose those tools — preferably made          demonstrations by the mid-2020s.            and that Secretary Granholm has com-
                                             in America — over the higher-emitting             It also sets ambitious goals for        mitted to continuing – along with a joint
                                             options they are choosing today.              America to maintain global leadership       initiative with the Department of De-
                                                That’s why we were so excited to           and increases key clean energy program      fense to develop long-duration storage
By Rich Powell                               see one of the biggest advancements in        authorizations by an average of over 50%    technologies. If variable energy sources

W
                                             clean energy and climate policy in over       over the next five years.                   like wind and solar are going to bring
                    hen you hear that        a decade — the monumental Energy Act              For example, it re-gears the Of-        more power to the grid, we will need to
                    climate change is        of 2020 — check all of those boxes.           fice of Fossil Energy to focus on the       store the energy for use when the wind
                    real, and industrial        Tucked away in the 5,000 page end-         carbon capture, utilization, and storage    isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.
                    activity around the      of-year omnibus back in December              technologies the Intergovernmental              It also includes provisions for
                    globe is the dominant    was a bipartisan, clean energy innova-        Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says         advanced always-on renewables like
                    contributor, you may     tion roadmap.                                 are critical to reaching net-zero goals.    geothermal energy, including programs
assume a Democrat or environmental              The resulting technological innovation     It authorizes a comprehensive carbon        to demonstrate technologies to enable
organization said it. But, today it’s com-   will provide options for both American        capture R&D program, including six,         geothermal anywhere. There are excit-
ing from leaders in the Republican party     and global energy systems to go clean and     large, first-of-a-kind demonstrations for   ing opportunities to transfer technolo-
and most oil and gas companies.              address the global climate challenge. It      natural gas, coal, and industrial facili-   gies from the oil and gas industry and
    Climate change is not partisan – the     will lead to smarter, more targeted invest-   ties. Additionally, it starts serious R&D   demonstrate the co-production of criti-
challenge it poses to society merits         ments by the U.S. Department of Energy        on carbon removal technologies via          cal minerals with geothermal energy.
significant action at every level of         (DOE) focused on real-world outcomes          creative X-prizes on removing carbon            In addition to those key clean energy

                                                                                                                                                                                          A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
government and the private sector. And       that will reduce global emissions.            dioxide from the atmosphere.                authorizations, the Energy Act includes
solutions shouldn’t be partisan either.                                                                                                a comprehensive crosscutting clean
    We must all think globally when                                                                                                    industrial technologies R&D program
approaching this challenge. Halting                                                                                                    to lower the cost of cleaner chemicals,
pipelines or moratoriums on oil and gas                                                                                                materials, and manufacturing. Add in
production in the U.S. in the name of                                                                                                  the important tax credit extensions for
climate change has little or no impact                                                                                                 technologies like carbon capture and
on domestic carbon dioxide emissions,                                                                                                  offshore wind, and a phase out of green-
let alone the rest of the world. The                                                                                                   house gases called hydrofluorocarbons,
                                                                                                                                       and you have a huge climate bill.
                                                                                                                                           All of these provisions in the bill were
                                                                                                                                       led by, or cosponsored by, Republicans.
                                                                                                                                           And, ahead of the White House’s
                                                                                                                                       virtual Leaders Summit on Climate and
                                                                                                                                       the Administration’s new carbon emis-
                                                                                                                                       sions reduction targets, Republicans
                                                                                                                                       in the U.S. House of Representatives
                                                                                                                                           offered a strong clean energy innova-
                                                                                                                                            tion agenda, showcasing their ideas
                                                                                                                                            to lower emissions, create jobs, and
                                                                                                                                            keep energy prices affordable.
                                                                                                                                                If we are to truly tackle the global
                                                                                                                                            climate challenge, we will need            | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021
                                                                                                                                            some common ground and a dose of
                                                                                                                                            technological, economic, and politi-
                                                                                                                                           cal realism. Clean energy innovation
                                                                                                                                         just makes the most sense.

                                                                                                                                       Rich Powell leads ClearPath, a DC-based
                                                                                                                                       non-profit that develops and advances
                                                                                                                                       policies that accelerate breakthrough
                                                                                                                                       innovations that reduce emissions in
                                                                                                                                       the energy and industrial sectors.
                                                                                                                                                                                       5
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Natural gas infrastructure plays essential
                                                                         role in our low carbon energy future
                                                                     Innovating today to meet our customers’ energy needs tomorrow
                                                                                                                                                                                                              Agreement. Part of our efforts center on
                                                                                                                   As decisionmakers at every level of government                                             ongoing accelerated pipeline replace-
                                                                                                                  look for sensible and responsible investments in                                            ment programs in each of our service
                                                                                                                   infrastructure to meet climate and equity goals,                                           territories. Continuously enhancing and
                                                                                                                                                                                                              modernizing our infrastructure not only
                                                                                                                 it’s critical to understand the role that natural gas                                        increases safety and reliability, but also
                                                                                                                  distribution systems play in providing affordable,                                          provides an added environmental benefit
                                                                                                                       reliable, sustainable and resilient energy.                                            resulting in approximately 200,000 metric
                                                                                                                                                                                                              tons of greenhouse gas emissions reduc-
                                                                                                                                                                                                              tions over the life of these programs.
                                                                                                            natural gas infrastructure can store en-         more sources of carbon-free electricity              At the same time, we are doing more
                                                                                                            ergy for days, weeks, months, and years          become available and enabling technol-           by collaborating with our customers,
                                                                                                            with on-demand delivery.                         ogy costs decline, the viability of using        suppliers, the public and our regulators
                                                                                                                And the natural gas delivery network         this energy as a means for generating            to reduce emissions while ensuring af-
                                                                                                            is reducing emissions that contribute            green hydrogen is increasingly attractive.       fordability, reliability and resiliency.
                                                                                                            to climate change. The EPA recently                  Washington Gas has grown with and                Washington Gas is in a unique posi-
                                                                                                            released its Inventory of U.S. Green-            promoted the growth of our region over           tion to help our 1.2 million customers to
                                                             By Donald “Blue” Jenkins                       house Gas Emissions and reported that            the last 172 years. Natural gas use has          be part of the low-carbon energy future.

                                                             M
                                                                                                            emissions from the nation’s natural gas          similarly fueled the nation’s economy,           In 2020, we submitted a comprehensive,
                                                                                any people take infra-      infrastructure continue to decline, now          while also contributing to the reduction         science-based Climate Business Plan
                                                                                structure for granted       making up 1/10th of 1% of overall natural        of the nation’s greenhouse gas (GHG)             in the District of Columbia, outlining
                                                                                whether it be roads and     gas emissions.                                   emissions. Using natural gas in power            a roadmap for the company to reduce
                                                                                bridges or energy deliv-                                                                                                      greenhouse gas emissions associated
                                                                                ery systems that power                                                                                                        with natural gas use in the District 50%
                                                                                our lives. The experience                                                                                                     by 2032, and to achieve carbon neutral-
                                                             for most consumers when it comes to en-                                                                                                          ity by 2050 to help the District meet its
                                                             ergy infrastructure has largely remained                                                                                                         climate goals.
                                                             unchanged—the outlets in our homes and                                                                                                               Our Climate Business Plan focuses
                                                             offices look the same and we are using the                                                                                                       on energy savings, transitioning to a
                                                             same furnaces and stoves to warm our                                                                                                             broader mix of energy including carbon
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             spaces and cook our food.                                                                                                                        neutral fuels like RNG and hydrogen,
                                                                 However, the energy fueling this                                                                                                             and modernizing our infrastructure.
                                                             equipment is undergoing a remarkable                                                                                                             The Environmental Defense Fund hailed
                                                             and vital transformation. Washington                                                                                                             the Plan in a New York State regulatory
                                                             Gas and our fellow utility companies are                                                                                                         filing, noting that “this broad, system-
                                                             innovating to leverage existing infra-                                                                                                           wide thinking is critical to maximize
                                                             structure that provides exceptional reli-                                                                                                        emissions reductions.” In addition, the
                                                             ability, versatility and storage capability                                                                                                      consulting firm ICF determined that the
                                                             to meet the needs of the future. This                                                                                                            Plan saves an estimated $2.7 billion com-
                                                             work is core to our company’s mission-                                                                                                           pared to approaches to decarbonization
                                                             -to improve the quality of life within our                                                                                                       that rely solely on electrification.
                                                             communities by safely and reliably con-                                                                                                              Climate action is urgent. Our country
                                                             necting customers to affordable sources        Natural Gas infrastructure provides exceptional reliability, versatility and storage capability   must pursue innovative solutions across
                                                             of energy today and tomorrow.                  to meet the energy needs of the future.                                                           many sectors, such as energy, transporta-
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                                                                 As decisionmakers at every level                                                                                                             tion, agriculture among others. Given the
                                                             of government look for sensible and                                                                                                              inter-connected nature of these parts of
      WASHINGTON

                                                             responsible investments in infrastruc-            Our systems are also remarkably               production is the single largest factor in       our economy, climate action must be pur-
                                                             ture to meet climate and equity goals,         versatile— able to deliver carbon neu-           power sector emissions reaching 27-year-         sued thoughtfully with optionality and
  A SPECIAL

                                                             it’s critical to understand the role that      tral fuels including renewable natural           lows, while natural gas distribution             without losing sight of affordability, reli-
                                                             natural gas distribution systems play in       gas (RNG) and hydrogen. Generated                companies, like Washington Gas, have             ability, and resilience our infrastructure
| THE

                                                             providing affordable, reliable, sustain-       from biomass, waste, or other renew-             reduced emissions associated with the            provides. The need for integrated, multi-
                                                             able and resilient energy.                     able resources, RNG is a pipeline-ready,         delivery and use of their product by 73%         sector planning that maximizes the use
                                                                 The reliability of natural gas is          carbon neutral gas that is compatible                                                             ready-now infrastructure has never been
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                                                                                                             since 1990. We are well-positioned to
                                                             unmatched. Natural gas infrastructure          with the existing natural gas system and         build on this success in the next chapter        greater and can propel us into the lower
                                                             is less vulnerable to interruption than        equipment. Natural gas customers can             of our history, keeping our commitment           carbon energy ecosystem of tomorrow.
                                                             other energy delivery systems, espe-           realize significant emissions reductions         to provide our customers with afford-
                                                             cially during the winter when heating          with RNG without making costly equip-            able, reliable, modern and, now, even            Donald “Blue” Jenkins is the President
                                                             can be a matter of not just comfort, but       ment substitutions.                              more sustainable energy.                         of Washington Gas, a company that has
                                                             also health and safety.                           There also are many initiatives under-            In 2011, Washington Gas was one of           been providing energy to residential, com-
                                                                 Our country’s natural gas infra-           way to advance hydrogen in our energy            the first natural gas distribution com-          mercial, and industrial customers for more
                                                             structure comes with “built-in” energy         mix—taking advantage of technology to            panies to set targets to reduce green-           than 170 years. Washington Gas provides
                                                             storage. Unlike electricity which cannot       produce clean hydrogen from water and            house gas emissions. After achieving             safe, reliable natural gas service to more
                                                             be easily stored without adding very           electricity that has been commercially           these reductions ahead of schedule, we           than 1.2 million customers in the District
                               6                             expensive and short duration batteries,        available for more than 50 years. As             aligned our targets in 2016 with the Paris       of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
AFFORDABLE,
                                                              RELIABLE,
                                                          SUSTAINABLE,
                                                        MODERN ENERGY

                                                                                                          A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
For more than 172 years, Washington Gas has delivered essential natural gas service to the region.
Now, we have an innovative plan that provides affordable, reliable energy while helping the District
of Columbia achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

Washington Gas Climate Business Plan
Provides Path to Low Carbon Future
The plan provides a sensible pathway to carbon neutrality
that saves money and maximizes reliability for customers by:

       Adding low-emissions and zero emissions fuels like
 1
       biogas and hydrogen to the system

 2     Investing in our infrastructure – tightening and enhancing
       the system to maximize fuel delivered to customers

       Saving energy – high efficiency appliances,
 3
       dual fuel and ‘smart’ technologies
                                                                                                       | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021

For more information on the Washington Gas Climate
Business Plan, visit www.WashingtonGasCBP.Com

                                                                                                       7
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
No need to raise taxes to fund infrastructure
                                                                           and protect the environment
                                                                                                            zero return on 14% of their tax dollars.    infrastructure has broad bipartisan sup-    playbook worked in the Sunshine State
                                                                                                            Imagine if a business were run that         port. Republicans and Democrats alike       and it will work for America.
                                                                                                            way – it would never last.                  share a desire to bring America’s roads,       It’s time for Democrats to acknowl-
                                                                                                                To avoid a fiscal calamity, it would    bridges, seaports, and airports back        edge some basic truths: Tax increases
                                                                                                            be logical for President Biden and the      to being the best in the world and use      don’t create jobs, provide sustainable
                                                                                                            Democrats to take a pragmatic approach      these innovations to address the growing    government revenue, or solve problems.
                                                                                                            to the issues facing our nation, practice   threats posed by climate change.            If we want to finally get something done
                                                                                                            some fiscal discipline and do only what        As Governor of Florida, I oversaw        on infrastructure in Washington, we
                                                                                                            is absolutely necessary. Of course, that    the investment of $85 billion in critical   need to focus on growing the economy
                                                                                                            wouldn’t satisfy their radical left base.   and innovative infrastructure proj-         and making the hard choices to provide
                                                                                                            For Democrats, it’s an all or nothing       ects. The difference in what we did         targeted funding to projects that create

                                                             By U.S. Sen. Rick Scott

                                                             D
                                                                             emocrats in Washington
                                                                             have a big problem when it
                                                                             comes to explaining their
                                                                             policies. Over the years,
                                                                             they have come to rely on a
                                                                             false equivalence between
                                                             massive spending, higher taxes, and
                                                             progress. The latest example of this
                                                             came just a few weeks ago as President
                                                             Biden rolled out his massive $2.5 trillion
                                                             so-called “infrastructure” plan funded
                                                             by, you guessed it, $2 trillion in tax
                                                             increases. That’s Democrat politics in a
                                                             nutshell. Their answer to every problem
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             is higher taxes, bigger government bu-
                                                             reaucracies, and endless deficit spend-
                                                             ing. It doesn’t work and it’s going to kill
                                                             the American dream.
                                                                 We’ve seen this before. Biden’s
                                                             “COVID” spending package, branded
                                                             as the American Recovery Plan Act,
                                                             wasn’t actually about COVID-19. The bill
                                                             dedicated less than 10% of its massive
                                                             $1.9 trillion price tag to fighting COVID-             Let’s remember: Our nation is hurdling toward $30 trillion in debt thanks
                                                             19 and just 1% to vaccines. Democrats                  to Congress’ inability to exercise self-control. With interest rates around
                                                             also snuck a tax increase on gig workers
                                                             in that package, breaking their promise to
                                                                                                                  1.7%, that means that one out of every seven dollars the federal government
                                                             not raise taxes on anyone making less                 collects in tax revenue goes to pay interest on the national debt. American
            ADVERTISING

                                                             than $400,000.                                          taxpayers are getting absolutely zero return on 14% of their tax dollars.
                                                                 The same is true for Biden’s new “in-
      WASHINGTON

                                                             frastructure” plan. Of the more than $2
                                                             trillion he’s asking for, just $157 billion,   game. They don’t care about the impact      in Florida and what Biden wants? We         jobs and provide a return on investment
  A SPECIAL

                                                             less than 8%, would go toward tradi-           government’s binge spending will have       funded roads, bridges, and ports and        for American taxpayers.
                                                             tional infrastructure projects like roads,     on our children and grandchildren, and      never raised taxes once to do it. That’s       My advice to Biden and Demo-
| THE

                                                             bridges, highways, air and seaports,           they aren’t even pretending to work in a    because we focused on cutting taxes         crats in Washington is simple. Ditch
                                                             and waterways. The other 92% simply            bipartisan fashion.                         and eliminating burdensome regula-          this insane tax and spend agenda and
                                                             funds liberal wish list priorities slop-           That’s exactly what we’ve seen in the                                               follow Florida’s proven playbook for
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                                                                                                        tions and fought every day to create
                                                             pily banded together as “infrastructure”       first two major acts of Biden’s presi-      an environment where the private            economic success.
                                                             initiatives. It’s a joke.                      dency. The man who ran a campaign           sector could succeed. We invested in
                                                                 Let’s remember: Our nation is hur-         rooted in pledges to unify America          real infrastructure to create real jobs.    Senator Rick Scott, Florida Republican,
                                                             dling toward $30 trillion in debt thanks       immediately cowered to the demands          By doing this, we allowed the private       serves on the Commerce, Science, & Trans-
                                                             to Congress’ inability to exercise             of the woke mob and his party’s tax         sector to do what it does best – innovate   portation Committee, Budget Committee,
                                                             self-control. With interest rates around       and spend radicals in Congress. The         and grow. As a result, our economy          Homeland Security & Government Affairs
                                                             1.7%, that means that one out of every         Democrats believe we can just tax and       boomed and it resulted in the state hav-    Committee, Armed Services Committee,
                                                             seven dollars the federal government           regulate our way out of every problem,      ing the funds to invest in what matters     and the Special Committee on Aging. He
                                                             collects in tax revenue goes to pay            and it’s insanity.                          to taxpayers, like improving education,     also served two terms as Florida’s Gover-
                                                             interest on the national debt. Ameri-              It doesn’t have to be this way. Like    protecting the environment, and fund-       nor and ran the world’s largest healthcare
                                8                            can taxpayers are getting absolutely           COVID relief, increasing investments in     ing infrastructure improvements. This       company while in the private sector.
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Shuttering the U.S. energy renaissance
                     will hit American families’ finances
                                                 project was canceled. Making matters            Arkansas is blessed with a wonderful      sustainable energy production that can
                                                 worse, the justification for scrapping       landscape and incredible natural re-         transform the way we live and work. In
                                                 Keystone XL was partly under the guise       sources. We are proud of this legacy and     Arkansas, that advancement is com-
                                                 of environmental concerns despite the        seek to maintain it. At the same time, we    ing through a balanced, commonsense
                                                 fact that moving the oil extracted from      also want to harness the energy sources      approach rather than drastic moves to
                                                 Canada using other modes of transporta-      at our disposal to grow our economy and      eliminate economical, traditional energy
                                                 tion will produce more carbon emissions      help make life easier and more afford-       sources and cost jobs, or letting the fed-
                                                 than transporting it through the pipeline.   able for working families. We’ve already     eral government dictate how and where
                                                    In the Natural State, we of course        begun that work.                             we generate power.

By U.S. Sen. John Boozman

P
               ocketbook issues are what
               families in Arkansas and
               across the U.S. spend their
               time thinking about, plan-
               ning around and hoping for
               minimal, manageable fluc-
tuations that don’t significantly impact
their bottom lines.
    One way their wallets and bank ac-
counts get squeezed to the point of gen-
uine hardship and frustration is when
energy prices rise above what they have
budgeted for. When costs at the pump
or to heat and light homes increase, it

                                                                                                                                                                                           A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
has real-world consequences. Suddenly,
moms and dads, grandparents and other
caregivers start having to make tough
choices in order to keep paying bills and
afford life’s basic necessities.
    In recent years, the energy renais-
sance we’ve experienced as a nation
helped usher in lower prices as well as
reduced carbon dioxide emissions. But
now it is under threat.
    Policies like canceling the Keystone
XL pipeline and pausing new oil and
gas drilling on federal lands make little
sense to Arkansans. And what’s worse,
the consequences are already being felt
in my state.                                           Solar energy production is one such example. One Arkansas community has
    When the news about halting                        generated enough solar power to create enough savings to provide teachers
Keystone XL reverberated through the
country and into Arkansas, one Little
                                                            in the school district as much as $15,000 raises – a clear win-win.
Rock business, Welspun Tubular, took an
immediate hit. Based at an industrial site       want to balance our energy needs with           Solar energy production is one such          These lessons all ultimately come
located within an intermodal port along          environmental preservation concerns          example. One Arkansas community has          back to the pocketbooks of families and
the Arkansas River, the company was set          and strike an appropriate balance that       generated enough solar power to create       businesses in the Natural State. I encour-   | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021
to produce more than one million feet of         protects and conserves natural resources     enough savings to provide teachers in        age national policymakers to take note of
36-inch pipe for the project. The com-           while also providing the economic op-        the school district as much as $15,000       the example we have provided.
pany employs 600 workers and added 50            portunities that drive our state forward     raises – a clear win-win. A rice produc-
to its facility to help fulfill that contract.   and don’t harm the finances of hard-         ing mill in another part of the state has    Senator John Boozman, Arkansas Re-
The demise of the project has created            working families.                            recently announced an investment in          publican, serves as Ranking Member on
many questions and few answers.                     That’s why I support an all-of-the-       solar panels that is expected to build the   the Senate Committee on Agriculture,
    Arkansas pipefitters and welders are         above approach to secure American en-        state’s largest commercial solar power       Nutrition, and Forestry. He also serves
also suffering as a result of this move.         ergy independence including wind, solar      and battery storage system, with savings     on the Senate Committee on Environ-
Members of a local pipeline union have           and nuclear. This must be a cornerstone      projected to exceed $100 million over        ment and Public Works, Senate Com-
already been laid off and 200 more lost          for creating cleaner and more sustain-       the next 30 years.                           mittee on Appropriations, and Senate
an employment opportunity when the               able energy production.                         We are making progress on reaching        Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.              9
The policies, the projects, the players, the impact - media ...
Our commitment to a clean,
                                                                                                 resilient energy future
                                                                                                          dioxide emissions from 2012 to 2018 –       captured from farms, landfills, and        joint effort with electric utilities, pipe-
                                                                                                          the equivalent of removing 2.9 million      wastewater treatment plants. In addi-      lines, and producers, we have created
                                                                                                          cars off the road for a year.               tion to helping these industries reduce    industry-wide environmental, social,
                                                                                                              Investments like these are bearing      their own environmental impact, RNG        governance (ESG) reporting metrics.
                                                                                                          fruit. Just last week, the EPA released     is a usable energy that we are integrat-   Natural gas utilities remain an excel-
                                                                                                          its Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas        ing into our existing pipeline infra-      lent choice for investors and we will
                                                                                                          Emissions and Sinks, which shows            structure and delivering to customers.     provide the data and metrics they need
                                                                                                          that annual emissions from the natural          A recent assessment shows RNG          to show our commitment to progress
                                                                                                          gas distribution system declined 69%        has the potential to play a substan-       on all ESG fronts.
                                                                                                          from 1990 to 2019, as natural gas utility   tial role in lowering emissions from          Through our commitment to a
                                                                                                          companies added more than 788,000           natural gas (as much as 95% in the         cleaner energy future, we also have not
                                                                                                          miles of pipeline to serve 21 million       residential sector) with costs that        lost sight of our responsibility to meet
                                                                                                          more customers. Distribution systems        are competitive with other emissions       the energy needs of our customers no
                                                                                                          owned and operated by local natural         reduction pathways. Extended research      matter the weather or circumstances.
                                                                                                          gas utilities emit only 0.08% of pro-       and investment into RNG will enable        A recent study by the American Gas
                                                                                                          duced natural gas.                          it to flow from production points to       Foundation emphasizes how the increas-
                                                                                                                                                                                                 ing frequency and intensity of events
                                                             By Karen Harbert                                                                                                                    that stress our energy system underlines

                                                             A
                                                                                                                                                                                                 the need for us to consider what makes
                                                                            s we celebrate Earth Day,                                                                                            an energy system resilient and reliable –
                                                                            the American Gas Asso-                                                                                               and natural gas is a key part of that mix.
                                                                            ciation’s commitment on                                                                                                 This winter presented a challenging
                                                                            behalf of America’s natural                                                                                          mix of extreme weather and a pan-
                                                                            gas utilities to be part of                                                                                          demic, stressing our energy system.
                                                                            the solution to the complex                                                                                          U.S. natural gas consumption set a two-
                                                             challenge of climate change has never                                                                                               day record from February 14 and 15 of
                                                             been stronger. New Environmental                                                                                                    this year. Natural gas utility companies
                                                             Protection Agency (EPA) data illustrates                                                                                            were able to use their investments in
                                                             the progress we have made in the past                                                                                               infrastructure, operations, and plan-
                                                             three decades, and we know we will                                                                                                  ning to meet this record demand and
                                                             achieve more by working together with                                                                                               provide safe and reliable energy with
                                                             other sectors of the energy industry                                                                                                few interruptions.
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             and through partnerships with farmers,                                                                                                 Because of the critical role of
                                                             small businesses, and community advo-                                                                                               natural gas in our energy mix and the
                                                             cates. Our industry has proven that we                                                                                              utility employees who work 24/7/365 to
                                                             can help lower emissions while simulta-                                                                                             keep systems functioning, communi-
                                                             neously providing Americans with the                                                                                                ties can be confident that the energy
                                                             reliable, affordable energy they need.                                                                                              needs of both homes and businesses
                                                                 We know we can deliver successful                                                                                               will be met. We are always here, fuel-
                                                             clean energy solutions that will make                                                                                               ing our communities and delivering on
                                                             for a stronger economy and a healthier                                                                                              our promise to customers.
                                                             environment while still protecting                                                                                                     Delivering affordable, reliable
                                                             the pocketbooks of all our customers.                                                                                               energy does not have to be at odds
                                                             These ideal outcomes take an all-hands-                                                                                             with clean energy goals. On Earth Day
                                                             on-deck approach and the natural gas                                                                                                and every day of the year, progress
                                                             industry is proud to continue to play a                                                                                             on lowering emissions shouldn’t be
            ADVERTISING

                                                             leadership role in developing solutions.         In addition to helping these industries reduce their                               uncoupled from affordable, reliable en-
                                                                 The expanded role of natural gas             own environmental impact, RNG is a usable energy                                   ergy. Our industry is committed to the
      WASHINGTON

                                                             in America’s energy mix is the single
                                                             largest factor in power sector emis-
                                                                                                               that we are integrating into our existing pipeline                                cleaner energy future we all are striv-
                                                                                                                                                                                                 ing for and will continue to work every
                                                                                                                  infrastructure and delivering to customers.
  A SPECIAL

                                                             sions reductions reaching 27-year lows.                                                                                             day to help ensure Americans have
                                                             It’s also allowing households using nat-                                                                                            the energy they want and need while
| THE

                                                             ural gas to fuel their appliances to save                                                                                           achieving our environmental goals.
                                                             an average of $879 per year compared            These are good developments that         customers all over America through al-
                                                             to homes using only electricity. As          should be celebrated, but more can and                                                 Karen Harbert is the President and CEO
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                                                                                                      ready existing infrastructure, minimiz-
                                                             we continue on the path to economic          should be done. Our mission to deliver      ing costs for consumers and the need       of the American Gas Association, repre-
                                                             recovery, every dollar helps.                cleaner energy involves both more in-       to build expensive new systems. Our        senting companies that deliver natural gas
                                                                 One of the most effective means to       novation and greater transparency. We       2.6 million miles of pipelines can also    safely, reliably, and in an environmentally
                                                             reduce emissions is through energy           are reimagining our industry for the        be used to deliver hydrogen and other      responsible way to help improve the qual-
                                                             efficiency and our industry is doing its     future by innovating today.                 energy sources of the future.              ity of life for their customers every day.
                                                             part. Natural gas utilities invest $3.9         One area of significant potential is        We are also committed to trans-         AGA’s mission is to provide clear value
                                                             million daily in efficiency programs         through greater deployment of high-         parency and ensuring clear informa-        to its membership and serve as the indis-
                                                             in the U.S. and Canada. These invest-        value sources of energy like renewable      tion is available related to emissions     pensable, leading voice and facilitator on
                                                             ments help customers reduce their            natural gas and hydrogen. Renewable         for regulators, customers, investors,      its behalf in promoting the safe, reliable,
                                                             carbon footprints, offsetting more           natural gas (RNG) is a carbon-neutral       and other stakeholders. Through the        and efficient delivery of natural gas to
                  10                                         than 13.5 million metric tons of carbon      energy produced from methane                Natural Gas Sustainability Initiative, a   homes and businesses across the nation.
Our commitment to a cleaner,
more resilient energy future.

                                                             A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
As we celebrate Earth Day, the American Gas
Association’s commitment on behalf of America’s
natural gas utilities to be part of the solution to our
nation’s energy challenges has never been stronger.
Learn how we are reimagining our industry for the
future by visiting playbook.aga.org.

                                                          | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021

                                                          11
Agriculture should be in
                                                                                       the driver’s seat on carbon policy
                                                                                                           understands we have been and will              thus stores more carbon in soil. Grazing     thoroughly vetted by the average agri-
                                                                                                           continue to be the solution, not the prob-     crop residue and cover crops, a common       cultural producer – a producer that was
                                                                                                           lem. Agriculture should really be in the       practice, let farmers have their cake with   reducing his/her carbon footprint since
                                                                                                           driver’s seat on carbon policy.                livestock eating it too. Grass waterways     before it was cool all while feeding
                                                                                                              The main concept that ignores               and woody windbreaks prevent soil ero-       exponentially more people. Let’s not get
                                                                                                           modern agriculture’s success in conserv-       sion while up taking carbon and are age      the cart before the horse on an impor-
                                                                                                           ing resources is the concept of requir-        old practices. All these practices have      tant subject to consumers of food. We
                                                                                                           ing “additionality.” Additionality is big      been used by farmers in different areas of   have limited resources to feed, clothe,
                                                                                                           business’s idea of only tying value to         Kansas for decades or longer.                fuel, and house people. Anything that
                                                                                                           sequestering “new carbon” through the              Every acre of grass and every acre       is proposed must, first and foremost,
                                                                                                           adoption of practices new to the indi-         of crops, whether it is corn, beans, milo,   continue to encourage the efficient
                                                                                                           vidual farm. They don’t care if a farmer       cotton, wheat or sunflowers, remove          and abundant production of such. We

                                                             By U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, M.D.

                                                             F
                                                                         armers and ranchers are the
                                                                         original conservationist and
                                                                         generational farming is on the
                                                                         forefront of every producer’s
                                                                         mind. For nearly every year
                                                                         over the past 50 years, farm-
                                                             ers have steadily produced more food
                                                             and fiber on fewer acres with less water
                                                             and less nutrient inputs. Fathers and
                                                             mothers want to leave the land better
                                                             than when they found it, for their sons
                                                             and daughters. This topic isn’t new – in
                                                             Kansas we’ve been discussing soil health
                   TIMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

                                                             and conservation since the dustbowl.
                                                             I remember my grandparents building
                                                             terraces which helps shed water more
                                                             efficiently to prevent soil erosion. Of
                                                             course, the new administration once
                                                             again wants to regulate the water com-
                                                             ing off those terraces.
                                                                 The main theme of the current
                                                             administration continues to be climate
                                                             change. Ignorance of modern farm-
                                                             ing technology threatens to challenge                  Agriculture is one of, if not, the only industry that can naturally sequester
                                                             modern farming’s great track record.                     carbon. And we convert it into high quality food and protein. I see too
                                                             Early adoption of innovative technology
                                                             has long made the U.S. a superpower in
                                                                                                                          many companies and regulators trying a top-down approach.
            ADVERTISING

                                                             feeding the world. Consumers across the
                                                             world want access to our high quality,        currently sequesters a half-ton of carbon      carbon from the atmosphere to grow.          must also ensure we can adequately
      WASHINGTON

                                                             nutritious, and extremely safe food that      per acre, they only care if a farmer can       In fact, U.S. agriculture, land use and      and honestly measure all the good work
                                                             was produced with the most advanced           sequester more. Additionality as the           forestry are a net sink for emissions,       farmers are currently doing. Above all
  A SPECIAL

                                                             agricultural technology in the world.         measurement of value is intellectually         according to the Farmers for a Sustain-      else, real farmers must have a seat at
                                                                 Agriculture is one of, if not, the only   dishonest. Value should be assigned to         able Future coalition, comprised of over     the table because after all, they are the
| THE

                                                             industry that can naturally sequester         the TOTAL amount of carbon reduced,            20 agriculture groups representing the       original environmentalist.
                                                             carbon. And we convert it into high           mitigated, or sequestered each year,           major commodities grown in the United
                                                             quality food and protein. I see too many      rather than merely the “new carbon.”                                                        Senator Roger Marshall, M.D., Kansas
  Thursday • April 22 • 2021

                                                                                                                                                          States as well as American Farm Bureau
                                                             companies and regulators trying a top-        Additionality could be a requirement of        and the National Farmers Union. As of        Republican, serves on the Energy and
                                                             down approach. They want to make              participation to get even more carbon          2019, United States cattle producers have    Natural Resources; Agriculture, Nutri-
                                                             carbon markets that work for businesses       sequestration, but the dollar value            already avoided 2.3 gigatons of carbon       tion, and Forestry; Health, Education,
                                                             at the end of the value chain rather than     should be calculated in a way that             emissions since 1975. That’s equivalent      Labor and Pensions; and Small Business
                                                             asking producers what is best for the         doesn’t punish early adopters of efficient     to 1.9 billion cars driven in one year and   and Entrepreneurship Committees. He is
                                                             land they touch every day. It appears         farming technology.                            very different than you would be led to      the 5th generation farm kid growing up in
                                                             they are building these programs with             We’ve been no-till farming on my fam-      believe by folks errantly blaming climate    Butler County and received his Medical
                                                             the assumption that agriculture is part       ily’s ground for decades. Precision agri-      change on cow flatulence (cows belch         Doctorate from the University of Kansas.
                                                             of the problem. However, such as-             culture in Kansas is over 20 years old. For    more than fart).                             Dr. Marshall served in the Army Reserves
                                                             sumption couldn’t be further from the         8,000 years, farmers have used manure as           Additionality is only one of many        for seven years and practiced medicine
                   12                                        truth. In fact, everyone in agriculture       fertilizer, which builds soil organic matter   top-down concepts that haven’t been          in Great Bend for more than 25 years.
Iowa leading the way in investment,
     increased production, energy independence
                                                  As I mentioned, nearly half of our         Project on the Des Moines River. This        when making policy.
                                               state’s electricity comes from wind. On       facility is yet another great example of         Any energy policy, whether at the
                                               my 99 County Tour, I recently visited         Iowa actively working with partners, like    federal or state level, must keep in mind
                                               Iowa Lakes Community College and              the Army Corps of Engineers, to find         American families, workers, and busi-
                                               toured its Sustainable Energy Resources       creative ways to invest in reliable energy   nesses and their ability to be successful,
                                               Technology program. The reality is, the       sources, all while creating jobs and         compete globally, and create jobs. As
                                               backbone of our wind industry is the          boosting our local economies.                a member of the Senate Environment
                                               workforce that powers it. That’s why I’m         Finally, when it comes to biofuel,        and Public Works Committee, I will
                                               continuing to push solutions at the fed-      Iowa is unmatched. Over 50% of Iowa-         continue to work tirelessly to promote
                                               eral level to support programs, like the      grown corn goes directly to ethanol          Iowa’s leadership in renewable energy
                                               one at Iowa Lakes, to train the next gen-     production, and almost 40% of it is used     and find common sense solutions to
                                               eration of our wind energy workforce.         for the actual ethanol fuel. I’ve been       provide cleaner, more affordable energy
                                               To that end, I’ve partnered with Sena-        relentless in fighting for our biofuel       sources and create quality jobs for folks
                                               tor Angus King (I-Maine) on the Wind          community—whether that’s securing            all across this country.
                                               Workforce Modernization and Train-            E15 year-round, pushing back on the En-          We can protect our environment,
                                               ing Act which would help incentivize          vironmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)        drive sustainable energy production, and

By U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst

N
                o matter what state you’re
                from, we can all agree that
                keeping our air and water
                clean is essential. But
                heavy-handed and mis-
                guided Washington, D.C.,
mandates, like the Green New Deal, that
will crush our economy, are the wrong
path to achieving that. Instead, we need
an all-of-the above approach, one that
increases domestic production, ex-
pands the use of our renewable sources,
and promotes energy independence

                                                                                                                                                                                            A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
and efficiency by utilizing innovation
and public-private partnerships. And
America needs to look no further than
the great state of Iowa to see the blue-
print for that successful, market-driven
approach—from biofuel to solar, and
from wind to hydropower.
    Iowa is the nation’s leading producer
of ethanol and biodiesel. In addition,
over 40% of our power comes from
wind energy sources, and just two years
ago we had the highest wind power
share of any state. In recent years, we’ve
also grown our solar and hydroelectric
power capabilities. And this has largely               Iowa is the nation’s leading producer of ethanol and biodiesel. In addition,
been done through incentives and com-                    over 40% of our power comes from wind energy sources, and just two
munity engagement – not top-down,
D.C.-driven mandates.
                                                              years ago we had the highest wind power share of any state.
    Let’s start with solar. In 2018, Central
Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) an-
nounced Clēnera, LLC would develop             and promote the development of wind           harmful small refinery exemptions, or        power our economy all without heavy-
the largest solar project in the state,        power and wind jobs in Iowa and across        working to expand the infrastructure for     handed and harmful mandates from
and one of the largest in the Midwest,         the nation. At the end of last year, I suc-   higher blends of biofuel. Both ethanol       Washington. And my home state of Iowa          | Thursday •  April 22 •  2021
near Wapello, Iowa. CIPCO agreed to            cessfully pushed to get the training grant    and biodiesel are not only good for our      is leading the way.
purchase all of the Wapello Solar facil-       component of the bill signed into law.        agriculture economy, they’re better for
ity’s output over the course of a 25-year      While the new law will go a long way,         the environment. A recent report found       Senator Joni Ernst, Iowa Republican,
contract. Last August, I visited the           there’s still more work to be done, and       that greenhouse gas emissions from corn      serves on four committees of major im-
Wapello facility to see its ongoing efforts    I’m committed to making sure our wind         ethanol are 46% lower than gasoline.         portance to Iowans: Armed Services;
to develop the project. And just three         energy sector has the skilled workforce       That’s why I’m working across the aisle      Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; En-
weeks ago, I joined the grand opening          it needs to keep powering our state.          to push the Biden Administration’s EPA       vironment and Public Works; and Small
of this solar facility. Not only will this         In Iowa, we’re also utilizing and         and Department of Agriculture (USDA)         Business and Entrepreneurship. Follow-
project help deliver clean and affordable      investing in hydropower. At another           to update their greenhouse gas modeling      ing 23 years of military service, she was
energy to tens of thousands of Iowans,         99 County Tour stop a few weeks ago,          for ethanol and biodiesel and to recog-      elected in 2014 as the first female combat
but it will also create good-paying jobs.      I visited the Red Rock Hydroelectric          nize biofuel’s environmental benefits        veteran elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.   13
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