A behind-the-scenes battle for the future of energy production in Alabama finally came to a head last week at the Alabama Public Service Commission.
As we mentioned in mid-December, radical environmentalists — being aided by an inside man at the PSC — have been plotting to overtake the state’s utility review process.
Republican Public Service Commissioner Terry Dunn has over the last several weeks become the leading voice on the PSC for the environmentalists. Dunn’s proposals were met last week with a resounding “no” from the other two members of the Commission, Republicans Jeremy Oden and Twinkle Cavanaugh.
In the wake of the PSC’s decision, liberals, progressives, and even the Alabama Democrat Party itself did something you don’t see very often: they embraced a Republican — Terry Dunn.
Left in Alabama, a self-described “blog for prograssive politics & ideas,” kicked things off first with a post berating PSC President Twinkle Cavanaugh. The blog wrote, “Cavanaugh responded in typical GOP/TEA Party fashion: Jobs! Evil Environmentalists! More Coal! Protect the Family!” They then heaped praise on Dunn before concluding he “is fighting a losing battle with his fellow GOP commissioners.”
Then the Alabama Democrat Party tweeted a glowing endorsement of Dunn saying he is “someone working with the environmental community to do the right thing.”
Finally – someone working with the environmental community to do the right thing ow.ly/gJViM
— AL Democratic Party (@aldemocrats) January 11, 2013
Environmentalists had turned their sites to Alabama after notching a huge victory in Georgia where the stringent emmissions standards put in place by Obama’s EPA led to the closing of 15 coal-fired plants. Almost 500 Georgians lost their jobs and Georgia Power’s grid capacity was reduced by a whopping 15% overnight. This will, of course, ultimately lead to higher prices for Georgia consumers.
Thankfully, two of the three Republican Alabama PSC members voted to keep the environmentalist crowd from making further inroads in our state. But even if the radical leftists lost the battle, I suppose they can at least find comfort in knowing they found themselves a loyal new friend to embrace in Commissioner Terry Dunn.
