ALEC’s Latest Antics: Falsely Claiming Agreement with NRDC on Environment and Energy Policies

WASHINGTON (September 26, 2014) – The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released a position statement on renewables and climate change on Thursday that included the claim that its roof-top solar position is similar to those of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC). This is false, according to NRDC, which fundamentally disagrees with ALEC’s environment and energy policies.

Below is a statement from Aliya Haq, special projects director at NRDC’s climate and clean air program:

 “ALEC is drowning in a sea of its own lies, and this is a desperate reach for a lifeline.  It won’t work. 

“NRDC is fighting day and night to protect our climate and advance clean energy. ALEC is doing the opposite. It’s that simple.”

BACKGROUND:

ALEC has a long track record of denying climate change and promoting policies to prevent the expansion of clean energy solutions. Presentation slides leaked from an ALEC conference in July contain denialist claims including:

• “There is no scientific consensus on the human role in climate change.”
• “There is no need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and no point in attempting to do so.”
• “Carbon dioxide has not caused weather to become more extreme, polar ice and sea ice to melt, or sea level rise to accelerate. These were all false alarms.”

ALEC's recent energy policy position statement falsely claims its position on charging roof-top solar owners for electric grid use is “similar” to NRDC’s.  ALEC supports a “fixed charge” on all power customers no matter how much or little electricity they buy.  This would stifle growth in roof-top solar systems and discourage energy efficiency and NRDC opposes it.

For additional information:

• Aliya Haq’s blog on tech companies abandoning ALEC.
• For more information on how ALEC denies the facts of climate change, see this September 25, 2014, ALEC Exposed fact sheet.