Coal Lobby Outspending Solar Industry 25 to 1
by David Sassoon - Jun 9th, 2008
From the web site of the Office of the Clerk of the US House of Representatives comes these interesting statistics on relative lobbying muscle.
In the first three months of 2008, the leading coal industry front group (ACCCE) dropped $1.9 million in lobbying fees, while the Solar Energy Industries Association spent a mere $75,000. (Thanks to Coal is Dirty for doing the data mining.)
Also of note is that Peabody Energy spent $1.3 million of its own during the same period, while big coal-burning utility Southern Company spent $2.8 million. That's a lobbying operation on steroids. Even though it's only 1/17th the size, Southern almost matched Exxon's $3 million lobbying spend. If Exxon spent as much as Southern relative to size, it would have spent $50 million on lobbying.
Sobering. Especially on the eve of renewed consideration of a production tax credit for renewable energy in the Senate.
The measure has failed twice already -- both times by a single vote -- the one vote a certain Senator John McCain was not there to cast. (See McCain a No-Show on Clean Energy. Again.)
Let's see what kind of straight talk comes out of Washington this time around.
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