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Scott Walker's Record on Wind and Solar Power Leaves Renewables Industry Fuming

Five years after he took office, renewable energy in Wisconsin is lagging the boom in the rest of the country and industry blames him for the shortfall.
Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, speaks to attendees at the Iowa State Fair Soapbox in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015.

Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin and 2016 Republican presidential candidate, speaks to attendees at the Iowa State Fair Soapbox in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015.

Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
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Scott Walker’s up-and-down campaign for the Republican presidential nod has produced at least one constant: As far as wind and solar developers are concerned, the Wisconsin governor may be the worst man for the job.

Five years after Walker took office, renewable energy in Wisconsin is lagging the boom in the rest of the country and industry blames the two-term governor for the shortfall. Walker and his appointees have pushed new restrictions on windmills, cut tax incentives and research funding and last year imposed the nation’s highest fees on rooftop solar owners.