DRA Legislative Questionnaire Responses, Part Three of Five
In mid-September, Dakota Rural Action sent out a questionnaire to all candidates running for State House and Senate. Below are the returned responses to the following question:
Energy costs are often one of the greatest ongoing expenses of operating a business. C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) and similar programs have been used in the majority of other states to help business owners invest in energy efficiency and clean energy.
Do you support programs that offer long-term, low interest rate loans that businesses can use to invest in energy saving projects?
District 1
House of Representatives
Steven D. McCleerey “Yes. Absolutely. The next business that the State should invest in, is Solar. If you have followed my history in The House, I’ve promoted solar farms on state land next to 3 phase lines for extra income to be used for this very purpose.”
District 3
House of Representatives
Cory Allen Heidelberger “Yes. The state has a compelling interest in reducing energy usage because, among other reasons, the less energy each business uses, the more energy capacity we have left for other new businesses to use, and the more new businesses we can recruit and jobs we can create.”
District 4
House of Representatives
Daryl Root “I do not support government grants or loans. If businesses can’t make ends meet on their own, they should make way for those that can. Government should not pick winners and losers, That the job of the free market.”
John Mills “C-PACE type programs are dangerous, should not be allowed. Commercial property owners should work with their local banks and utilities for energy improvements. Many utilities offer incentives and more are likely coming.”
Kathy Tyler “I would support long term, low interest rate loans that business owners can us to invest in energy saving projects as long as the projects themselves are truly ‘green’”
District 6
State Senate
Teresa Ann Robbins “I think it makes sense from an economic standpoint to encourage business owners to invest and modify their practices to embrace emerging technology as a resource saving and environmentally sound practice. Incentives and promotion of resource management practices is a winning strategy for all South Dakotan citizens.”
District 7
House of Representatives
Bill Adamson “Programs that offer low interest loans for business to invest in energy saving projects increase economic efficiency by reducing operating costs and pollutants from energy production. Efficiency gains improve general social welfare and are in the public interest. Low interest loan programs are in the general public interest should be supported.”
District 8
House of Representatives
Chris Francis ”Absolutely! Businesses, municipalities, and even homeowners deserve equal access to low interest loans and incentives to modernize their structures for the betterment of our collective environment. We all do better, when we all do better.”
District 11
House of Representatives
Margaret Kuipers “I fully support programs to offer long-term, low interest rate loans for business owners to invest in clean energy and energy saving projects.”
Sheryl Johnson “Absolutely! We need to think about what we want our state to be like in 20 years and INVEST now to be free of fossil fuel dependence.”
District 15
State Senate
Reynold F. Nesiba “I need to know more. It generally seems like a good idea.”
District 16
State Senate
Liz Merrigan “I would assess the information requests and definitely support clean energy. Climate change is real, is here, and needs to be vigorously addressed.”
District 19
State Senate
Ardon Wek “Yes, I support programs that assist businesses to get a start. I see this as an investment in economic development.”
Stace Nelson “I am not a supporter of taxpayer subsidization of commercial property. I am for free-market solutions, not more socialism.”
District 19
House of Representatives
Alison Bowers “Human impact on Earth’s systems is a critical piece of all of the science classes that I teach. The ability to evaluate competing ideas and use cost-benefit analyses is a key part of Environmental Science. Humans have to be able to use Earth’s resources in a way that is sustainable in order for future generations to be able to access those resources. I would absolutely support programs that help business owners reduce the up-front cost of clean energy.”
Roger Hofer “Yes.”
District 25
State Senate
Peter Klebanoff “Not only do I believe we must take all prudent and reasonable steps to help drive the adoption of renewable energy sources in South Dakota, including long-term low interest loans, but I firmly believe we can take a leadership position in both use of renewables and manufacture and sale of renewable technologies (wind, solar, geothermal) build a sustainable, global industry which will provide thousands of well-paying jobs and broaden our tax base, lessening dependence on Agriculture and tourism, both of which are extremely cyclical.”
District 26b
House of Representatives
Debra Smith “I would support programs such as these because we need to be looking toward the future and developing more ways to be energy efficient.”
District 30
State Senate
A. Gideon Oakes “I love the idea of funding government operations through creative, non-taxation means. Lending money is an example of voluntary revenue generation that generally helps both parties involved. However, I will add that this is incumbent upon the program, in fact, operating at a profit and not falling into the category of subsidy. The government’s role is not to pick winners and losers.”
Kristine Ina Winter “Yes.”
District 30
House of Representatives
Karen McGregor “Absolutely!”
Whitney Raver “I think that’s a good first step. I would go a step further and use this issue to create an insulated micro-economy, offering grants to cover the cost for those who reinvest into the community in some observable way. The idea needs work, but it’s work I’m willing to contribute.”
District 32
House of Representatives
Susan Kelts “Yes. My husband and I are one of the first homeowners in Rapid City to install residential solar panels and battery storage. I want to take concrete steps to encourage energy efficiency and clean energy development among commercial users as well. South Dakota should join the majority of states which have PACE programs.”
District 33
State Senator
Ryan Ryder “Absolutely. South Dakota has been severely lacking in its development of solar and wind energy sources. We need to correct that immediately, and such loans would offer these options.”
District 33
House of Representatives
Lilias Jarding “Yes.”
District 34
House of Representatives
George Nelson “Yes.”
District 35
State Senate
Pat Cromwell “Yes. Any efforts to reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency and buy into renewables are important and need to be supported.”