We can do it!

When it comes to renewable energy, I am optimistic that The Center can help you establish policies that benefit your community for years to come. Why am I so confident? It’s because I have witnessed firsthand the power of commonsense bringing people together. I’ve always worked to find common ground upon which to build better communities.   

And there is no doubt – renewable energy projects make our communities better. You can read about the successes of these projects providing resources to budget-strapped rural communities, or helping farmers keep their land in productive agricultural use for future generations, or enabling communities to lower taxes (or “all of the above” at the same time), on our website. You can read practical advice about decommissioning or drainage tile policy. And you can look up the ordinances that helped make it all possible. It’s exciting to me that communities are making renewable energy development work for them, while providing new income for farmers and greater prosperity for everyone.

I’m mindful of this as the Fourth of July holiday approaches. Soon we’ll be celebrating our American birthday, our independence and heritage, at parades, picnics and swimming pools. I like to think that one of the defining hallmarks of the American spirit is our ability to remain rooted to our values while our ingenuity takes flight. With faith in that uniquely American ability, I know our communities can craft the right policies that make the energy transformation deliver local rewards consistent with our rural and agricultural roots.  

Earning a living from the land, preserving family farms for the next generation, strengthening the services and infrastructure of the communities to better meet the needs of people who live there – these are all possible with the right renewable energy policies.  

Let’s go. Let’s find that common ground to achieve opportunity for our communities. The Center can help every step of the way. I look forward to being there with you.