The American South Can’t Afford the Failure to Adopt Renewable Energy

By: Jonathan Stormer Pezzi

Wind turbines at sunrise. Photo by Myriam Zilles

Lexington — Like in many areas of development, the American South is lagging behind in the energy revolution. In fact, the region has the lowest percentage of renewable energy in the nation. 

According to numbers from 2017, not one Southern state made it into the top 25 renewable energy-producing states, a ranking measured by the percentage of a state’s electricity sourced by renewable generation. Tennessee was ranked 26th, with 10.7% of its electricity coming from renewables. Every other state in the region did not reach that 10% mark. 

So far, Virginia is the only state in the South to outline a significant renewable energy goal. Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 43, a plan to reach 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. A study by the Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a trade association founded by billionaire Tom Steyer, found that the bill would actually lower rates for the state’s residents. Advocates have  been quick to point out that Virginia is the only Southern state with a controlling Democratic Party, citing this as the sole reason for the shift to green energy. However, this assumption does not hold true. 

Other states are leading the way in global renewable energy production, regardless of political leanings. In Idaho, a state that hasn’t voted Democrat in a presidential election since Lyndon Johnson, has a staggering 78.65% of its power generated by renewable sources. A vast majority of it from hydroelectric power. Alaska, a steady Republican stronghold and large oil-producer, receives 32.56% of its electricity from renewables.

Another often cited reason for this lag is that Southern states lack the natural resources to utilize renewable energy on a large scale. It’s true that the region does not have deserts like Arizona or windy plains like west Texas. However, looking at the production of other less endowed states, it can be seen these traits are not necessary.

Many states still boast impressive renewable energy numbers regardless of their geography. New York is a national leader in solar energy, ranking 9th in the nation by percentage, despite having little sunlight in comparison to somewhere like South Carolina. Washington, a state famous for its rainy weather, receives 80% of its energy from renewables. 

Of course, a significant shift to green energy is no simple task and takes considerable financial resources. Nonetheless, other regions in the world have shown it is by no means implausible. A conglomeration of Latin American countries has pledged to reach 70% renewable energy use by 2030. That is more than double of what the European Union has announced, whose target is 32%.

This block of Latin American countries includes Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, all of whom hold no financial advantage over Southern states. 

Although wealthier than its Latin American neighbors, the American South is noticeably poorer than other American regions. It currently holds an embarrassing 13.4% poverty rate (compared to a nationwide rate of 12.3%), giving more reason for a shift. Renewable energy has proven it can alleviate a region’s financial struggles, rather than exacerbate them. As previously mentioned, 78% of  Idaho’s power is from renewables, and its residents have the sixth-lowest electricity rates in the country. South Dakota’s 70.26% also yields utility prices considerably lower than the national average.

This effectively occurred from an influx of investment and technological developments that have reduced the cost of renewable energy technologies in recent years. Studies now show it is often cheaper to invest in renewable energy sources than fossil fuels. 

Another consideration is the reoccuring inputs that fossil fuels require. For coal or gas-powered plants, the expenses of producing electricity do not end with the initial investment of the facilities. The continued necessity of mining or drilling for these resources is another consistent, high cost. For renewable energies, once the initial investment of a photovoltaic or wind farm is made, the only additional capital required is for maintenance. No regular inputs are necessary, reducing the costs as a result. These considerations are excluding the damaging extraction processes of mining, such as mountaintop removal.  

Because of these production advantages, companies like Common Energy, an organization that connects individual houses with electricity produced by solar farms, reduces an average customer’s bill by at least 10%. The renewables industry has seen significant financial backing from Wall Street firms as well, with most major banks now containing divisions specifically for renewables investing and research. 

In Appalachia and its southern states, coal has been a pertinent part of the history and economy, likely contributing to the region’s slow acceptance of renewables. However, despite the current administration’s efforts, the coal industry’s full deterioration is seemingly inevitable.  

Coal’s largest company, Murray Energy, recently filed for bankruptcy protection at the end of 2019. Murray’s downfall comes as no surprise, as the era of coal-powered electricity is slowly coming to halt. Coal’s share of the nation’s electricity fell from 48% in 2008 to 27% in 2018, according to the Department of Energy. The South and Appalachia have famously taken the brunt of this decline.

With blighted towns and abandoned factories scattered throughout the South, it’s now all but required that Southern governors work to bring more renewable jobs into their states. Solar energy employs 250,000 people nationwide, wind employs 100,000. Combined, that is seven times the number coal employs, and solar and wind only account for about 10% of the nation’s power. That employment number will only balloon as the production portion increases.

Bringing these jobs could be the lifeline many communities need, and a speedy change is more than possible. Kansas’s portion of renewable energy grew from less than 1% of electricity production in 2005 to 36% in 2017.  

Whether the South likes it or not, this is the trajectory of energy. New data shows that solar and wind now provide more than one-third of the world’s power. Fossil fueled power plants are declining in both the United States and Europe, according to the Guardian. More fossil fueled plants were decommissioned than built in 2019 and a Gallup Poll found that most Americans now support reducing fossil fuel use.  

If the South wants to put more money in the pockets of its people and even bring jobs back to crumbling coal towns, it will need to join the rest of the nation, and the world, in the energy revolution.