Growing up, I used to think “rain falling on the just and the unjust” meant that sometimes bad things happen to good people, too—then I started working a farm. Even on my “unjust” days, I always welcomed the rain. 

When you’re working a farm, you start to see life in terms of how things flow. The soil grows the grass, which flows to the cattle. The cattle make manure, which flows to the soil. The rain falls and if you’re smart, you do what you can to slow it, spread it, sink it, and store it. The sunlight falls and you plan to make the most of it (or get out from under it). Regardless of whether you make the most of it, these things continue to flow.

I haven’t worked a farm in a few years, I went up north to study law. There, I worked with lawyers and economists on energy projects, and came to see that renewable energy generation is more than a form of environmental action. Renewable energy is also a way for communities to capture streams of revenue that people spend every day to keep the porch light on, the fridge cold, the factory running, and their cellphones charging.

After I found my way back to Tennessee, I was surprised to learn that my home state was one of only fourteen states and territories that did not have a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). An RPS, sometimes called a renewable energy standard, is a type of law that requires electric utility providers to sell a certain percentage of renewable energy on the grid (or alternately, purchase renewable energy credits from renewable energy producers).

Currently the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) owns more than 90% of the electricity generating capacity in Tennessee. Only 3% of TVA’s energy is renewable. Their name is somewhat misleading if you don’t have a reason to know, as TVA is owned by the federal government. As a result, the federal government is in charge of many important decisions about energy production and consumption in our state. Instead of relying on big government solutions, many states have started moving toward energy independence through renewables.

More than 30 states have created a RPS, resulting in revenue flowing back to local communities in the form of savings and profits. These policies, initially passed for environmental concerns, have the added benefit of creating a circular economy with many associated benefits beyond emissions reduction.

Many states are now providing rebates to distributed energy producers—businesses and homeowners with rooftop solar—because of the security and utility that distributed generation provides to local communities and the grid at large. Water and air quality improvements, additional income streams for farmers, and many other possibilities await.

In Tennessee, we could capture revenue streams by passing an RPS that is tailored to the Volunteer State. For instance, if we created incentives for rooftop solar or solar-covered parking lots, we’d kill two birds with one stone by benefiting from the summer sun while shading our properties or our cars. Many states also incentivize community-owned solar, or use third-party trusts to encourage the market to provide social benefits to disadvantaged communities. Tennessee could combat rising housing prices by incentivizing community solar projects whose benefits flow to permanent low- or moderate-income housing cooperatives. 

Regardless of whether Tennessee requires renewable energy projects to provide additional social benefits, or whether voters are motivated by emissions reduction, a Renewable Portfolio Standard is right for our state. By keeping energy dollars in Tennessee, we build an economy more resilient to fluctuating energy markets. 

Other states were the first movers, driving down technology costs by creating demand for scaled production of renewable energy systems. Renewable energy is cost-competitive with every other form of energy production. Now we can reap the benefits from other laboratories of democracy, who paid the premiums to conduct successful experiments in renewables, and ended up keeping revenue in their own states.

Energy produced and sold by every-day Tennesseans means more money staying in the Tennessee economy. The more we make for ourselves, the more self-reliant we become.

Governor Lee, It’s time for Tennessee to talk about Renewable Energy Standards.