Environmental advocacy group Evergreen Action recently launched a series of political advertisements emphasizing the positive impacts of the Biden administration’s green agenda. The group spent $1 million on these ads, which focused on clean energy developments in Wisconsin and Michigan, even as some of these initiatives have faced controversy.
One ad in Wisconsin highlighted solar projects expected to power 750,000 homes. However, part of this solar power push faced delays in 2023 due to federal investigations into whether some panels were produced using forced labor in China.
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Some local residents have also expressed frustration with the development process. Under Wisconsin law, the State’s Public Service Commission has authority over large-scale renewable energy projects, requiring those interested in developing solar farms on their property to sell or lease their land, a process rural communities have said can be disruptive to their livelihoods.
Efforts to amend this legislation have been ongoing, mirroring similar actions in Michigan, where a petition against a similar renewable energy law garnered tens of thousands of signatures. Organizers aim to have the policy repealed by putting it to a vote in the 2026 ballot.
Rather than focusing on solar energy, the pro-Biden ad in Michigan highlighted the state’s electric vehicle (EV) industry. Since 2022, Michigan has benefited from over $16 billion in EV investments, creating more than 16,000 new jobs.
Despite these economic gains, public support in the state for the EV transition remains tepid. A poll from last year indicated that 44% of Michigan voters did not support the shift to electric vehicles. Additionally, data collected in April revealed that only 5% of voters plan to purchase an EV within the next five years.
[JACK AYLMER]
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THEIR CLEAN ENERGY WINS AHEAD OF what they hope is a big win in november.
EVEN THOUGH NOT ALL OF those climate initiatives WERE WELL RECEIVED.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY GROUP EVERGREEN ACTION RECENTLY RELEASED A pair of POLITICAL ADS SHOWCASing POSITIVE IMPACTS FROM BIDEN’S GREEN AGENDA.
SPENDING ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS IN WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN.
BUT SOME OF THAT WORK HAS FACED CONTROVERSY.
THE WISCONSIN AD TOUTED SOLAR PROJECTS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO KEEP 750-THOUSAND HOMES RUNNING.
[AD]
“So your home value goes up and your energy bill goes down.”
[JACK AYLMER]
PART OF THAT SOLAR POWER FACED DELAYS IN 20-23 THOUGH-
AS FEDERAL INVESTIGATORS WORKED TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE PANELS USED IN CERTAIN PROJECTS WERE MADE WITH CHINESE FORCED LABOR.
SOME LOCALS ARE ALSO UNHAPPY WITH HOW THESE DEVELOPMENTS CAME ABOUT.
UNDER WISCONSIN LAW, THE STATE’S PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS TOTAL AUTHORITY OVER LARGE-SCALE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS.
FORCING PEOPLE INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING SOLAR FARMS ON THEIR PROPERTY TO EITHER SELL OFF OR LEASE THE LAND THEY OWN TO DO SO.
A PROCESS SOME RURAL COMMUNITIES IN WISCONSIN SAY CAN BE DISRUPTIVE.
A SIMILAR LAW WAS INTRODUCED IN MICHIGAN LAST YEAR.
RESIDENTS IN BOTH STATES HAVE TRIED TO CHANGE THE LEGISLATION-
A PETITION AGAINST THE LAW WAS REPORTEDLY SIGNED BY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN MICHIGAN.
THE INITIATIVE TO REPEAL THIS POLICY IS STILL ONGOING, WITH ORGANIZERS SAYING THEIR GOAL IS TO PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE ON THE 20-26 BALLOT.
THE PRO-BIDEN ADS PLACED IN MICHIGAN INSTEAD FOCUSED ON A DIFFERENT TYPE OF GREEN INITIATIVE: ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
[MICHIGAN AD]
“It’s what we’re doing every single day making electric cars that power our economy and our future. And now working with the Biden administration.”
[JACK AYLMER]
BUILDING EVS HAS BEEN PROFITABLE FOR THE STATE-
EARNING THEM OVER 16 BILLION DOLLARS IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE INVESTMENTS WHILE CREATING ALMOST 20-THOUSAND NEW JOBS SINCE 20-22.
BUT 44 PERCENT OF MICHIGAN VOTERS SAID THEY STILL DON’T SUPPORT THE EV TRANSITION-
ACCORDING TO A POLL RELEASED LAST YEAR.
AND DATA COLLECTED IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR FOUND ONLY 5 PERCENT OF STATE VOTERS ACTUALLY PLAN TO BUY AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITHIN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE DISCOURSE OVER RENEWABLE POWER AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES IS SET TO PLAY A MAJOR PART IN OUR UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
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