For Michele Combs, energy policy is not a partisan issue … it’s personal. Her interest began when she was pregnant with her son.

Combs: “My doctor told me not to eat fish, and I said, ‘Why shouldn’t I eat fish?’ and I found out it was because of the mercury that was in the fish.”

Curious where that mercury comes from, Combs did some research. And she found that coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution in the U.S.

Combs: “And I was surprised. I said I cannot believe that we as Republicans are not involved in this issue that is so important to the unborn.”

In 2012, she started a group called Young Conservatives for Energy Reform. Members meet with conservative city, state, and county leaders to explain how policies that support solar and wind energy can help protect the air, water, and people’s health.

Combs: “I believe the issue of clean energy is not a Republican or a Democratic issue. I believe it is an American issue, and most importantly I believe it is a family issue. And I am involved because I want us to be cleaner, and I want us to make a better country for future generations.”

Reporting credit: Daisy Simmons/ChavoBart Digital Media.
Image credit: Young Conservatives for Energy Reform video