GreenFinancing RedStates,

The Inflation Reduction Act(IRA)passedwithout a single GOP vote. However, the biggest winnersfromtheIRAare ironicallytheRepublicans who voted against it. Roughlytwo-thirdsofthe major clean energy projects are in districts whose Republican lawmakers opposed the IRA, meaning that the money Democrats voted toinvestincleanpoweris largely spent in n Republican districts. Although Republicans continue to vote against climatelegislationlikethe IRA, constituents in red in districtshavethemostto gain from these kinds of bills. This is so for three reasons: 1) red states are geographically the best sites for renewable projects, 2) red states are wherethemostemissions come from and 3) red states are where new infrastructure typically getsbuilt,duetoindustry incentives, space, and cheaperskilledlabor.

Thebenefitsforredstates is evident in a series of data-driven figures by Enersection, a new Houston-based company. For example, the best placeTableofContents place to put up wind turbines is where there is lotsofopenspace,causing strong winds. Just 10 states roughly between the Mississippi River and the Rockies account for over 80% of US onshore wind power potential, andthatregionskewsred (70% of the House districts in those states have Republican representatives).

“Rural and semi rural districts offer more open, and cheaper, spaces to site electricity.

Thebenefitsforredstates is evident in a series of data data-driven figures by Enersection, a new Houston-based company. For example, the best place to put up wind turbines is where there is lotsofopenspace,causing strong winds. Just 10 statesroughlybetweenthe Mississippi River and the Rockies account for over 80% of US onshore wind power potential, and that region skews red (70% of the House districts in those states have Republican representatives).

“Rural and semi rural districts offer more open, and cheaper, spaces to site electric infrastructure than the urban and suburban areas that tend tovoteblue.Evenwithin states that tilt blue, wind capacity tends to be built in districts with Republican representatives.Ofthetop 15 districts for existing and planned wind capacity in states won by JoeBidenin2020,13are red” (Denning & Davies, 2022).

Forcleanenergy companies,itmakessense tobuildsolarfacilitiesin predominantlyredSun Beltstateswithanti-union laws.Furthermore,20out of25districtswiththe highestgreenhousegas emissionsfromindustrial sitesareRepublican.The IRAincentivisesclean energycompaniestobe drawntoredstates throughfederalsubsidies, taxbenefits,andcapital becauseredstatesneed cleanenergythemost.

“OklahomaGov.Kevin Stit

Stitt (R) is proud of the state’s standing as the nation’sthird-largestwind power producer - behind only Texas and Iowa. More than 40% of Oklahoma’s electricity comes from wind generation, and the state boasts more than 20,000 jobsincleanenergy,about 1.3% of its workforce” (Morehouse, 2022).

Nevertheless, Stitt staunchly disputed the notion that an expansion of the tax credits that led to Oklahoma’s wind boom boomcoulddoanymore to help his state’s economy.

“Texas - whose governor, Greg Abbott, was one of 22 Republicans who signed an Aug. 4 letter opposing the IRAproduces more wind powerbymegawattsthan anyotherstate,thesecond most solar power in the country and ranks only behindCaliforniainclean energyjobs,atmorethan a quarter million. It also has tremendous potential for for more. Texas leads in wind potential with 1.3 million megawatts in possible capacity, and ranks as the fourth sunniest state, with the highest capacity for solar in terms of land mass, accordingtotheNational Renewable Energy Laboratory” (Morehouse, 2022).

“Moving further to the right, there is Colorado’s 3rd District, represented by Lauren Boebert. In January 2021, she responded to the US reentry into the Paris Agreement by tweeting that she works “for the peopleofPueblo,notthe people of Paris.” Ironic, really, since Pueblo, one ofthebiggestcitiesinher district, has a 100% renewable electricity targetandisemergingasa regionalcleanenergyhub. Overall, Boebert’s district ranks 16th of the 435 districts for planned renewable energy capacity” (Denning & Davies,2022).

“Applying benchmark estimates of capital costs forwind,solarandbattery projects from Bloomberg NEF and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to planned capacity implies a $107 billion investment opportunity from the IRA - almost four-fifths of it in red districts” (Denning & Davies, 2022). The evidence is clearthatGOPlawmakers are seemingly enjoying economic development, jobs, and energy security from the IRA that they said the nation did not need need. The success of the IRA has helped constituents in red and blue states alike, which incentivises the GOP to be more compromising movingforwardwithnew climatelegislation.Inthis polarizing nation, despite differing political affiliations,itappearsthat Americans have common interestsandgoals,evenif theGOPisslowtoadmit it.Hopefully,thebenefits to red states can change GOP attitudes towards the future of the clean energytransition.

Key West Butterfly and Nature Conervatory Key West, Florida

This conservatory is a must for all who visit the beautiful island of Key West. Before entering the conservatory, there is a gift shop and a n education center displaying a few insect species and about the life cycle of the butterflies As soon as you enter the enclosure, you are transported to a fairytale land of butterflies fluttering all around you, the air almost feels lighter. Around the bend are more critters such as the Yellow Edged Owl Butterfly Chicago on the next page and distant relatives of dinosaurs... flamingoes and other tropical birds including this White Breasted Gouldian Finch pictured here. Once you've visited, you will be dreaming of butterflies forevermore.