One of the legislators who addressed a Stop the Green rally held this week at the state capitol admitted he ran for the legislature because of what he called the “green energy” insanity.
Rep. Jim Shaw of Chandler said an industrial wind project proposed near his home and property sparked his desire to enter the legislature. Previously, he had been in the oil and gas industry.
“Some people are promoting industrial wind and solar as both necessary energy alternatives – in the name of “climate change” – and necessary supplemental energy sources because of the huge increase in energy demand being forecasted. What may not be well known, is the majority of the increased demand is coming from the prospect of Artificial Intelligence Data Centers and other facilities like battery energy storage systems and battery manufacturing plants. These facilities coming into our state are MASSIVE consumers of energy,” said Shaw in speaking to those attending the rally on the second floor of the Capitol.
Shaw believes the ultimate goal of the “green energy” scam is to “completely eradicate the oil and gas industry, while purposefully industrializing our entire state, with unwanted data centers and facilities that must be powered by dystopian industrial wind and solar complexes, and transmission corridors running through generational farms and ranches by force.”
The rally featured opponents to more solar and wind projects and the use of eminent domain for the construction of transmission lines. Shaw believes the state allowed the proliferation of the wind and solar projects with legislation favoring an industry propped up by federal tax dollars.
“This didn’t happen overnight, and we’ve been put in a position where we have to course correct NOW to halt these invasive projects that many of you here today may have just recently become aware of, and are personally affected by,” he continued.
” If we want to stop this complete takeover of our state, the irreversible damage of our farm and ranch land and preserve our state and national security with affordable and reliable energy from oil and gas; it’s time to stop playing political games and we must stop the “green energy” madness this session!”
The GOP legislator also urged those attending the rally to closely monitor bills introduced this legislative session to solve the green energy problem.
“Here we are on the 2nd floor where the Governor’s office is. There’s already talk about who will be our next governor 2 years from now. I can tell you this much, whoever that person is, they MUST be on the right side of this issue. And every republican legislator MUST be on the right side of this issue.”
In concluding his comments, Shaw said it is time for policies that put the people of Oklahoma first with strong fiscal responsibility and discipline, “not large multinational corporations who often don’t align with our conservative values.”