Affordable Energy, Smarter States: Jonathan Williams on Hugh Hewitt
The Magic Sauce of Low Energy Prices and Smart Policy Choices
Arlington, Va. – ALEC’s President and Chief Economist Jonathan Williams joined nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt to discuss the release of the fourth annual Energy Affordability Report, a comprehensive ranking of states based on energy costs and policies. Playing a role in the decisions for families and businesses considering relocation, the report can serve as a blueprint for states with high energy prices to follow.
“It’s a huge input, not just for heating our homes in the winter and the cost to our pocketbook as individuals, but for the cost of doing business in a state.”
So significant that Williams suggested the report’s findings could become a factor in ALEC’s flagship publication, Rich States, Poor States.
“We could almost include this as a variable in upcoming editions because it is key to why some businesses choose some states over others.”
Top of the agenda was which state finished first.
“The honors for that go to the great State of Wyoming. I was just talking to the new Speaker of the House, Chip Neiman, yesterday on the phone. He’s been doing a great job moving a freedom, pro-taxpayer oriented agenda this last session in Wyoming. But Wyoming is the lowest in terms of electricity prices.”
Other top-ranking states include North Dakota, Idaho, Utah, and Nebraska.
“You really have a regional piece that makes a lot of sense,” Williams explained. “And you know, why is that the case?”
Williams further highlighted that Wyoming not only boasts zero income tax but also champions education freedom, achievements made possible through the leadership of Speaker Neiman and Senate leaders.
For businesses considering relocation, Williams emphasized that combining low electricity prices with policies that allow education dollars to follow students to the school of their choice makes a state especially attractive.
“That right there is a combination—that’s the magic sauce.”
With states competing to attract businesses and residents, ALEC’s Energy Affordability Report provides a crucial tool for policymakers and entrepreneurs alike. “Americans vote with their feet, as we chronicle every single year,” Williams surmised. “Where are they going? They’re looking for the best quality of life at the lowest cost of living, and those are all key elements to it.”