Fall 2017
Young Conservatives for Energy Reform Newsletter
 

I would like to start by thanking all the wonderful people that we have met all over the country this summer and fall.  I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and support for clean energy that continues to grow across the nation.  Young conservatives are getting involved in the renewable and clean energy movement.

The Young Conservatives for Energy Reform had a very busy summer and early fall with events around the country, which included events in Kansas, Florida, South Carolina, Nevada, Maryland, and Virginia.  We have events planned in the coming months in North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Ohio, Michigan, Colorado, Georgia, and Indiana. We have state chairman in forty states around the country and we are working with thousands of grassroots activists on clean energy issues at the local, state, and national levels. 

A special thank you to our Nevada and our Western teams on their success this spring and summer in the Nevada and Colorado legislatures. We worked hard on educating Nevada legislators on the issue of net metering. This allows utility customers who have solar panels on their homes to receive credits from their utility companies which, in turn, saves ratepayers thousands of dollars each year on their utility bills.  After several months of educating the legislators in Nevada, the net metering bill (AB405) passed with bi-partisan support because of the combined efforts of our coalition in Carson City, Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada. We also co-hosted a luncheon in early October in Las Vegas. We were honored to have Assemblyman Jim Marchant, Carl Bunce, the GOP Clark County Chairman, Eric Roberts, the Executive Director of the Republican Assembly Caucus, and members of Nevada Young Republicans. General Richard Zilmer, a friend of the Young Conservatives for Energy Reform, was our guest speaker who gave a great speech about national security and how Nevada is leading the way with clean energy.

Finally, I would like to personally thank the hundreds of attendees that came from over forty states, including Alaska, to attend the 3rd Annual Conservative Clean Energy Summit that was sponsored by Young Conservatives for Energy Reform and the Christian Coalition.  A special thank you to our co-sponsors and speakers that made the event possible – American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Tom Kiernan, CEO, Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), Abigail Ross, CEO, and Defend our Future, Christian Berle.  We would also like to thank other speakers that included members of Congress, business leaders, and clean energy experts.  

--- Michele Combs, Chairman & Founder, Young Conservatives for Energy Reform

We would like to offer a special note of thanks to all those who made the Innovation Showcase another success at our Conservative Clean Energy Summit!

 

This year’s Summit featured expert panels that enhanced the educational experience of our attendees. Thank you to the panelists who participated.

What Are We Doing Here As Conservatives?
Panelists: Michele Combs, Founder and Chairman, YC4ER, Roberta Combs, President and CEO, CC, Bill Thomson, Chairman, Veterans for Energy Reform, Angel Garcia, National Outreach Director, YC4ER, Ash Mason, Southeast Director, CC, Keith den Hollander, Midwest Director, CC, Tyler Duvelius, Ohio State Director, CC

The Changing Face of Transportation
Panelists: Bud DeFlavis, Fuel Cell Association, Corey Eshow, Transportation Policy Manager, LYFT, Genevieve Cullen, President, Electric Drive Transportation Association

Millennials and Clean Energy
Panelists: Jason Emert, Chairman, Young Republican National Federation, Chandler Thornton, Chairman, National College Republican Federation, E. J. Wilder, North Carolina State Chairman, YC4ER 

The Effective Way For Conservatives Leaders To Educate Legislators on the State and National Level on Clean Energy
Panelists: Brandon Audap, Director of Federal Affairs, SEIA, Maggie Lemmerman, Director of Federal Legislative and Political Affairs, AWEA, Dahvi Wilson, Director of Public Affairs, APEX Clean Energy, Ash Mason, Southeast Director, CC

Red, White and Blue: Why Supporting Clean Energy is as Patriotic as Apple Pie
Panelists: Vice-Admiral Lee Gunn, (USN), John Powers, Iraq War Veteran, President and Co-Founder, Clean Capital, Morry Cater, Cater Communications

Living Off the Grid in Our Highly Technical World
Panelists: Dean and Kathy Berden, Business Owner and RNC Committeewoman for the Michigan GOP

It is All About the Economics in America’s Businesses
Panelists: Lisa Jacobsen, President, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Ben Evans, Vice-President and Government Affairs and Communication, Alliance to Save Energy, Leroy Coleman, Hydro Power Association, Carrie Annand, Executive Director, Bio Mass Power Association, Susan Mathiascheck, Nuclear Energy Institute

Below, please see some photos from our Conservative Clean Energy Summit. You can view all of our Summit pictures here.
 

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