The Climate and Development Lab at Brown University is researching the influence that different groups exert on climate change and clean energy legislation in U.S. states. Using a database of millions of lobbying positions and written testimony in 17 states, we have identified coalitions of organizations who often lobby together, and uncovered nuanced relationships between those coalitions.
Iowa has a long history of wind energy development and produces some of the highest amounts of renewable energy in the country. Our analysis of more than 23,000 lobbying records shows utilities and agriculture groups to be particularly influential in the legislature, insights which are supported by interviewees from key Iowa environmental groups. Utilities and agriculture groups often opposed pro-environmental legislation, but partnerships with environmental groups could achieve surprising successes.
