(Lebanon, Ohio) The mayor of Lebanon, in southwest Ohio, is a proud supporter of Donald Trump. But like other local officials, Mark Messer defends the investments voted for by Democrats in green energy — and threatened by the Republican candidate.
“There’s no reason this should be such a politically charged conversation,” says the 40-year-old politician, his heavily tattooed arms peeking out from a T-shirt with the Nobull logo — no bullshit. “We’re a growing nation, and we need to be able to provide reliable, quality energy to all of our citizens, by any means possible,” he adds.
He proudly shows off the solar installations near the main road in the town of 20,000 people.
PHOTO JANIE GOSSELIN, THE PRESS
Republican Mark Messer has been involved in municipal politics since 2012. He became mayor of Lebanon in 2022.
On a vacant lot transformed into a photovoltaic power station, a man and a woman were busy bolting solar panels to metal rails last August, under a blazing sun.
The three facilities under construction are expected to provide an additional 10 megawatts by next year, enough to meet the needs of about 1,400 homes each year, according to estimates by project officials.
A Democratic Law
A tax credit of 4 million US dollars, obtained thanks to theInflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress two years ago, has helped absorb nearly a third of the project’s costs.
The IRA is described as the most significant green energy legislation in the United States. In the form of tax credits and grants, the program provides for investments of some US$370 billion over 10 years to lead an energy transition.
No Republicans supported the bill in Congress.
Party members criticized the program; North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson called it a “throwaway of money at woke social and climate programs that won’t work.”
Ironically, his district will benefit from the IRA and other government programs, with Toyota building a massive electric battery plant in Greensboro that is expected to create 5,000 jobs.
This is not the only constituency acquired by Donald Trump’s party to benefit from the program.
Two years after its passage, the majority of Republican constituencies have received funding from the IRA: nearly 78 percent of the program’s announced investments, or $346 billion, have been pledged to pro-party districts, according to a CNN analysis conducted in June using data from the Rhodium Group and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A figure that is partly explained by the need for large plots of land, found in rural communities – traditionally more republican.
Donald Trump has promised to repeal his Democratic opponents’ energy transition laws, but recently said he would only cancel funds that have not already been spent under the IRA.
Autonomy
Lebanon would likely not be affected by such a cut, since the project is nearly complete. But its mayor still defends the importance of retaining the IRA, and has expressed this publicly.
Mr. Messer remains critical of Democratic positions, but believes Republicans would benefit “from having a seat at the table” in making future decisions on energy.
It is not because of climate change that he supports the IRA — Lebanon will continue to use coal and natural gas, in addition to solar energy, for its electricity. Rather, it is for reasons of autonomy and economy.
I think that a stable energy system and grid in the United States is something that everyone should be investing in. I would take money out of the military-industrial complex rather than taking money out of creating a healthy, stable energy system at home.
Mark Messer, Mayor of Lebanon, Ohio
He estimates that solar power will save the community about $1 million a year, taking into account the upcoming increase in demand caused by the installation of a data storage center, which would have driven up prices.
Skepticism
Despite the promises, solar projects are not always welcomed with open arms.
“How are these fields of black mirrors, where there used to be green fields, not contributing to global warming?” asks Cathy Leedy, a retired science teacher who now runs an antiques store in Lebanon.
The 78-year-old lives in Hillsboro, a few miles from Lebanon. Discussions about solar installations there began before the IRA was passed in 2021 and sparked local opposition. “We had ‘No Solar’ signs everywhere, people were choosing sides,” says the Republican with cropped gray hair. The projects moved forward.
“I understand that older farmers don’t necessarily have their children to take over, and that they can sell or rent the land to solar energy companies, but after that, we don’t know if the land will remain cultivable,” adds the woman who would rather favor geothermal energy, a renewable energy that draws on underground heat.
PHOTO JANIE GOSSELIN, THE PRESS
The town of Lebanon, north of Cincinnati, has a population of 20,000.
In Lebanon, where the land was already owned by the city, there does not appear to have been as much opposition.
“Ideas for new energy sources are not bad, but they are never as green as they want us to believe, and they take up a lot of land,” says Dan Halshall, 59, owner of a gift shop in the center of Lebanon, with its main street with its pretty facades.
The Trump supporter isn’t opposed to solar power in the city. But he’s skeptical. “Maybe one day they’ll come up with a solution, but in my opinion, coal is still the best source of energy,” he says.