As election day 2024 quickly approaches, the race between Democratic incumbent Emilia Sykes and Republican challenger Kevin Coughlin remains a contentious one.
Ideastream Public Media's Zaria Johnson reached out to both candidates to learn more about their views on fossil fuels, clean energy and the grid and the progress made in Ohio so far.
Emilia Sykes
What would you point to in your past actions that speak to your approach on environmental issues?
Sykes: One of the reasons why I joined and requested to join, I should say the Transportation Infrastructure Committee in Congress was so that I could help oversee the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. And with so many communities across this area, particularly in the district, who had water quality issues with combined sewer overflows or just connectivity or lead pipes, I felt like it would be a great position for me to be in in order to deliver meaningful results.
So I serve as the vice ranking member of the Water Resources Environment Subcommittee, and it has given me a bird's eye view on how we can be best situated to help our community.
Some of the things that we have been able to deliver to the community have been resources for North Canton and the water project there, Canal Fulton and their water project, we've worked with Hudson and their Nicholson connection line. We're continuing to work with Peninsula and the County of Summit with ways in which we can help them with their EPA mandate as well.
Those are just some of the issues. Canton, we worked with with their water department and put some resources in for this next appropriation cycle for their water storage facility. The Cromer water storage facility can be taken care of and recently announced, I think almost a year ago, a multi-million dollar project for the Canton Water Department, things that will make sure that the water is safe but also is reliable, but also can help reduce the cost so we don't pass those on to the consumers and ratepayers.
So in a nutshell, I would say that we've been pretty effective with delivering that resources back to the district so that people don't have to come back out of their pocket. But also positioning ourselves to be leaders in air and water quality environmental issues.
Do you support the reduction of fossil fuel emissions? What steps are you willing to support to do so?
Sykes: Fossil fuel emissions we're certainly hoping to to reduce. As we know, they are a part of making sure that we have clean air and breathable air, so folks are not getting sick or is it unnecessary particulate.
You know, some of the things that we must do is work with particularly manufacturers who are using a lot of fossil fuels in their production and encouraging them to look for other avenues. I know it's a little difficult sometimes because people like to do what has worked, but it is okay to sit down and perhaps offer alternatives and see how we can get these many entities adopt them.
We've seen this with the auto manufacturers where the government said we have to work to reduce these and they decided through their own volition that they were going to, as a industry, make vehicles that reduce fossil fuel that aren't as reliant upon them and start to change their fleets.
Part of the problem, however, is that our infrastructure is not quite ready for that change. And so if we are going to be a community or a country that relies upon electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, we need to make sure that our infrastructure allows for that change. And the thing that they call 'range anxiety' is eliminated because there are one facilities in which people can charge throughout roadways and communities that are accessible, but also that our grid has the capacity to accept this new energy production and transmit it appropriately with ensuring that we're not producing unnecessary hurdles and surges.
In Ohio, we're seeing more of these massive projects like data centers, as well as infrastructure such as EV charging stations, which are energy intensive; what would you do to help Ohio meet this demand?
Sykes: Rolling blackouts is certainly something that none of us look forward to, and so ensuring that our our energy providers have what they need to meet this demand. You know, we don't want to get ahead of our skis, enforce things on people and industry, and they're just not ready, but we also have a role to encourage and push people to be ready.
And so as we move into the next congress, I think we will have a lot of very heartfelt, maybe not heartfelt but significant conversations about what is needed and how can we meet those needs and where do we need the private sector to step up to be a part of this with us?
Because this is a joint effort to make sure that we are protecting and saving what will perhaps be most valuable resource, which is our planet, because we certainly don't get another.
Can clean energy play a role in bolstering economic development in Ohio?
Sykes: It absolutely can. You know, energy costs are one of those things that plague large manufacturers and renters, homeowners and small business owners. And as we are diversifying our energy sources, having something come into the market that is reliable and helps reduce costs all across the board is certainly a way that we can support our economy.
Additionally, when we invite these types of projects in, there is someone building them, Someone has to construct them. And as I mentioned, the laborers and the operating engineers and IBEW, the electricians, they are well trained and adequate in putting these together. Many of them have apprenticeship programs so people can learn how to do the work and get paid doing it. And so it's a win win for everyone.
These projects are not only significant in helping to reduce costs, putting people to work in good paying union jobs, but also just providing a way to reduce our carbon emissions and lower the challenges around climate change. We can all do our part and we can put people to work.
What else do you want voters to know about you?
Sykes: I always want voters to know that my top priority is them. It is the people of this district. We have worked for the past almost two years reconnecting this community to our Congress and the federal representation and ensuring that folks know where to come when they need help and to bring back those resources.
I talked about this earlier that because we were a bit disconnected due to the gerrymandering that has occurred, we lost out on a lot of opportunities for resources. And while taxpayers in this area were sending money to the federal government, those resources were going all across the country and not making it back here to Ohio. So we have been able to bring back over $200 million in resources and a lot of them are environmental, but some of them are infrastructure based, including the high level bridge that connects Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, which is a significant infrastructure project, but there's much, much more.
And so I look to this job is a is totally service. I work for you. I work for the people of this community. And my first, second and third concern is meeting those needs.
Kevin Coughlin
Kevin Coughlin did not return requests for an interview.
According to his campaign website, Coughlin identifies a need to protect Lake Erie and the Great Lakes to preserve recreational, ecological and economic opportunities on the lake.
On the energy front, Coughlin is committed to promoting policy that supports oil, gas and clean energy, according to his website, and boost domestic energy production to lower costs for Ohioans.
