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If 2022 has taught us anything, it is that we need to produce more energy in all its forms here in the United States. Oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear, hydro – a lot. The more we produce here, the stronger and safer our country will be.
However, while the national benefits of energy production are clear, the local benefits are less well understood. Investing in energy production and energy infrastructure is about more than producing energy. For communities, especially those in rural America, energy investments support critical public services, household incomes, high street businesses, and more.
A good example of this trend is Kit Carson County, Colorado. Over the past few years, The Western Way, a conservative non-profit organization I work with, has been scrutinizing the growing investment in wind farms and other renewable energy in the eastern plains of Colorado. .
To be clear, Kit Carson County is not the epicenter of Colorado’s booming wind energy economy. But even relatively small investments in wind turbines and other renewable energy sources worth about $110 million over the past decade have made a big difference to the county’s local economy.
In a new report released this month, The Western Way compared Kit Carson County’s economic performance to neighboring Washington County, which has little investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
The difference is clear. Wind energy development has supported about 150 high-paying jobs in Kitcarson County, based on 2019 data, while neighboring Washington County has zero renewable energy jobs.
For farmers and ranchers, payments to host wind turbines can total millions of dollars over the long term, depending on the number of turbines and their nameplate capacity. In one scenario, individual Kit Carson County landowners hosting 10 new wind turbines could expect to receive payments from wind farm operators of $2.15 million to $3.22 million over 20 years. increase.
“And this is extra income,” explains Kit Carson County Commissioner Dave Hornung, who was interviewed for the new report. “Wind towers occupy little land, so landowners can continue to farm around them.”
But the economic benefits go far beyond individual energy workers and landowners.
Using property values as an indicator of economic growth, Kit Carson County’s economy, open to renewable energy investment, grew 63% between 2011 and 2021.
In neighboring Washington County, where local permitting policies have constrained renewable energy investment, the region’s economic growth slowed to 36% over the same period.
Rapid growth in Kit Carson County has increased funding for community services by $6.8 million since 2011. That’s more than double his rate of growth in neighboring Washington County, and in effect, the Kitcarson County resident spent an additional $3.3 million on her K-12 education, road maintenance, public safety, and other needs. We offer essential services compared to neighboring countries.
By 2024, renewable energy infrastructure is projected to generate at least $3.7 million in funding for local services in Kit Carson County. By comparison, the corresponding forecast for Washington County is $296,500, 92% less.
Local governments that rely more on sales taxes than property taxes to fund essential services are getting a boost.
Burlington’s Director of Economic Development, Laure Hudler, said: The wind industry worker “spends a lot of money” on local businesses and this has contributed to his 11th consecutive year of increased sales tax revenue for the city.
“Fiscal pressures are always tight, and the cost of providing many services, especially road maintenance, continues to rise, so this is a big help for small municipalities,” said Hudler. .
Kit Carson County is not a liberal fortress. Politically, it’s almost red-hot. For example, in this year’s gubernatorial race, more than 81% of his voters in Kitcarson County favored Republican candidate Heidi Ghanar over incumbent Democrat Jared Polis.
It is still a farming community and you can still find oil and gas wells in Kit Carson County. Adopting renewable energy therefore does not change the character or identity of this community at all. We’ve only strengthened our community by adding a major new source of income.
We need more of this kind of pragmatism at all levels of government, not just local. Instead of looking at energy politically, our elected officials should look at it practically.
If rural America is realistic about energy, there is no reason why the rest of the country should not be realistic about energy.
Wray’s Greg Brophy is a farmer and former state senator. He is the Colorado Director of The Western Way, a conservative nonprofit that seeks market-oriented solutions to environmental problems.
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