banks, geo d

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">12 22</font></div><div><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>George "David" Banks</b>&nbsp;is an American political advisor who served in the administrations of US Presidents&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Donald Trump</a>, advising on energy policy and climate change. He is currently the executive vice president of the&nbsp;<b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Council_for_Capital_Formation" title="American Council for Capital Formation" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">American Council for Capital Formation</a>, a pro-business think tank.</b></font></p><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Career">Career</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 0; unicode-bidi: isolate; margin-right: 0px;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0.25em;">[</span></span></font></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">Banks was born in Southern&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri" title="Missouri" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Missouri</a>, United States. He received BA degrees in history, economics, and political science and an MA in economics from the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Missouri_at_St.Louis" class="mw-redirect" title="University of Missouri at St. Louis" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">University of Missouri at St. Louis</a>. He later graduated with a JD from&nbsp;<b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason_University" title="George Mason University" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">George Mason University</a>.</b><sup id="cite_ref-Banks_1-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-Banks-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Before his position at ACCF, Banks was a senior adviser to President&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">George W. Bush</a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_policy_of_the_George_W.Bush_administration" title="Climate change policy of the George W. Bush administration" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">international climate change</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;">[2]</a></sup>&nbsp;For his work on&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol" title="Montreal Protocol" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Montreal Protocol</a>&nbsp;issues in the Bush White House, Banks was honored by the Obama Administration in 2009</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">In 2011–2012, he served as Republican deputy staff director of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. He was also a deputy director of the nuclear energy program at the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies" title="Center for Strategic and International Studies" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Center for Strategic and International Studies</a>, U.S. State Department diplomat, and CIA analyst</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4">In 2017, Banks became Special Assistant for International Energy and Environment at the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Economic_Council(United_States)" title="National Economic Council (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Economic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Security_Council" title="United States National Security Council" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Security Councils</a>&nbsp;in the administration of President&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Donald Trump</a>, a post he held until February 2018.<sup id="cite_ref-Friedman_5-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-Friedman-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a></sup>&nbsp;He resigned after failing to qualify for security clearance due to admitting that he had smoked marijuana in 2013.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:0_7-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-:0-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:1_8-0" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-:1-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a></sup>&nbsp;His departure came during several other departures of Trump administration officials for failing to achieve full security clearances.<sup id="cite_ref-:0_7-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-:0-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:1_8-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-:1-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a></sup>&nbsp;He then resumed his role with the ACCF.<sup id="cite_ref-Banks_1-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-Banks-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In April 2018, Banks was named a research fellow at Columbia University, specializing in nuclear power.</span><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[9]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Positions_on_energy_policy">Positions on energy policy</span><span class="mw-editsection" style="user-select: none; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 0; unicode-bidi: isolate; margin-right: 0px;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="margin-right: 0.25em;">[</span></span></font></h2><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Banks has been a strong advocate for energy free trade and constructive&nbsp;</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China%E2%80%93United_States_relations" title="China–United States relations" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. engagement with China</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. "China-bashing in the context of U.S. energy policymaking will only cause Beijing to become more stubborn in the&nbsp;</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea" title="South China Sea" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">South China Sea</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;and more aggressive in locking up&nbsp;</span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_supply" title="Energy supply" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">energy supplies</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;around the globe,” he wrote in November 2015.</span><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a></sup><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">He was also critical of the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_Fuel_Standard" class="mw-redirect" title="Renewable Fuel Standard" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Renewable Fuel Standard</a>&nbsp;(RFS</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">), writing in&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Washington_Times" title="The Washington Times" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;"><b>The Washington Times</b></a></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;in February 2016 that "The RFS has plagued the country for years by jacking up food and fuel costs. What’s more, it’s outdated and offers zero environmental benefits. Congress should nix this standard before it wreaks more havoc on the country."</span><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[11]</a></sup></font></p><p style="margin: 0.5em 0px;"><font face="Times New Roman" style="" size="4"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In November 2017, Banks attended the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_United_Nations_Climate_Change_Conference" title="2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference</a>. He has spoken<b> in support of the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Agreement" title="Paris Agreement" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Paris climate agreement</a>, calling it "a good Republican agreement".</b><sup id="cite_ref-Friedman_5-1" class="reference" style="line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-Friedman-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial;"><b>[</b>5]</a></sup>&nbsp;He has also spoken in favor of the Kigali Amendment to the&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Protocol" title="Montreal Protocol" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Montreal Protocol</a>'s potential to create American jobs.</span><sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a></sup></font></p><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="mw-headline" id="References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Reference</font></span></h2><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">sep 2017</font></div><div><div class="entry-content" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">George David Banks, a top advisor to President Trump on climate change, once worked as the “D.C. liaison” for the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED), a coalition of “individuals, organizations, communities, and businesses” founded by the anti-wind activist and climate skeptic John Droz, Jr.</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Droz received national attention in 2012 for his role in drafting a&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/anti-wind-groups-coordinate-with-fossil-fuel-funded-organizations/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“National PR Campaign Proposal”</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;to “… constructively influence state and national wind energy policies.” The “confidential” draft plan called for “joining forces” with a number of powerful special interest groups backed by the Koch brothers. It was soon followed by&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3943777-D-C-Energy-Advocates-Conference-Participants.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a February 2012 meeting</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">&nbsp;between local wind power opponents, including Droz, and representatives of some of these sam</span><b>e Koch-backed groups</b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">. &nbsp;</span></span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Droz is equally well known for&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-man-who-makes-sea-lev/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his role in fooling state lawmakers</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in North Carolina into a passing a&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.cc.com/video-clips/w6itwj/the-colbert-report-the-word---sink-or-swim" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">controversial moratorium</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;on the use of sea level rise protections in coastal planning. Droz often&nbsp;</span><a href="http://wiseenergy.org/potpourri/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">describes himself</span></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;as an “independent physicist</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">” and he does hold degrees in physics that he earned back in the 1960s and 1970s. However,&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://pweb.westelcom.com/brvmug/AREResume.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">according to Droz’s own resume</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, his professional career since 1979 has been in real estate, where he has made enough money to&nbsp;<a href="http://wiseenergy.org/Energy/JohnDroz_Energy_CV.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">pursue other interests like bashing wind power</a>&nbsp;on the side. Droz is&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.mediamatters.org/research/2014/06/25/media-advisory-john-droz-is-not-a-climate-chang/199886" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">not an expert on climate change</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, and he has, in fact, embraced unscientific conspiracy theories.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“One insightful observer commented that the whole AGW hypothesis was never about climate anyway — but rather it is ultimately about control (of population, lifestyle, energy use, etc.),” Droz’s&nbsp;</span><a href="http://pweb.westelcom.com/brvmug/WindPower/GlobalWarmingPosition.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">official position on global warming</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;concluded (AGW is short for anthropogenic, or human-caused, global warming).</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As AWED’s director of D.C. operations in 2012 and 2013,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/unusual-coalitions-clash-over-wind-energy-tax-credit/2012/09/20/fd775f1a-01c7-11e2-b257-e1c2b3548a4a_story.html?utm_term=.b4630cc0cc06" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks worked as part of what the Washington Post dubbed an “unusual coalition”</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;that pressured Congress to allow a key federal tax credit for wind power to expire. The coalition included the utility Exelon and Koch-backed groups like Americans for Prosperity and Freedomworks, as well as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.rstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Wind-PTC-full-page-ad.lowres.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a number of local anti-wind groups</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.&nbsp;</span></font></p><div id="attachment_5152" class="wp-caption aligncenter no-underline" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px auto 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; max-width: 100%; width: 458px;"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-5152" data-attachment-id="5152" data-permalink="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/george-david-banks-trump-wind-power/facebook-2/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?fit=448%2C594&ssl=1" data-orig-size="448,594" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="Freedomworks anti-wind" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="" /><p>The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions and Freedomworks used social media and false narratives to manufacture opposition to the wind production tax credit.</p>

" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?fit=226%2C300&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?fit=448%2C594&ssl=1" decoding="async" class="wp-image-5152 size-full jetpack-lazy-image entered lazyloaded jetpack-lazy-image--handled" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?resize=448%2C594&is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="448" height="594" data-recalc-dims="1" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?w=448&ssl=1 448w, https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?resize=226%2C300&ssl=1 226w, https://i0.wp.com/www.energyandpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Facebook.png?resize=300%2C398&ssl=1 300w" data-ll-status="loaded" sizes="(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px" data-lazy-loaded="1" loading="eager" style="box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; display: block; margin: 0px;"><p id="caption-attachment-5152" class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 458px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions and Freedomworks used social media and false narratives to manufacture opposition to the wind Production Tax Credit.</font></span></p></div><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Around the same time he was working for AWED, Banks was also a&nbsp;<a href="https://archive.fo/OxBF7#selection-975.0-975.279" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">policy advisor to Heartland Institute</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, which was working with the American Legislative Exchange Council and other Koch-backed groups to use “model legislation” to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/climate-skeptic-group-works-to-reverse-renewable-energy-mandates/2012/11/24/124faaa0-3517-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html?utm_term=.116a720db6fb" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">repeal another key driver of wind power growth</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">: state renewable portfolio standards (RPS). Droz was already working with ALEC and other groups with ties to the Koch brothers to attack&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.facingsouth.org/2011/12/climate-science-deniers-join-forces-against-nc-renewable-energy-program.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">North Carolina’s RPS</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, and in 2013 he&nbsp;</span><a href="http://pweb.westelcom.com/brvmug/WindPower/FixingRPS.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">worked to recruit wind power opponents</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in other states to the campaign.</span></font></p><h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 25.3625px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Who paid George David Banks to work for the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions?</font></span></h4><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/27/white-house-national-economic-council-director-announces-senior-staff" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">brief bio</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;of Banks put out by the White House press office when he was appointed by President Trump to serve as a special assistant for international energy and environment made no mention of AWED or the Heartland Institute, nor does his&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LinkedIn profile</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What Banks does reveal on his LinkedIn profile is that at the same time he was working for AWED in 2012 and 2013, he was also the managing director of Battle Group, LLC, a:</font></span></p><blockquote style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 4px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(52, 62, 71); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1em 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 67.65px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: "" ""; line-height: 1.6; position: relative;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">“Strategic consultancy that works to bridge and integrate state and local advocacy efforts with free market lobbying campaigns at the national level, focusing on energy and environment issues.”</font></span></p></blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A consultancy is, by definition, a company that gets paid to provide professional advice or services, yet AWED and its founder John Droz – a&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/opinion03/john-droz-answers-to-questions-about-wind-projects-20160909" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">self-described</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;“independent physicist and energy expert” – have long sought to portray their anti-wind efforts as powered by volunteers and free of financial ties to the fossil fuel and utility industries.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“All of our efforts (including this website) are from donated time and effort on the part of committed citizens,” AWED said on its&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ptcfacts.info/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">PTCFacts.info</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;website, set up to oppose&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/wind-gets-production-tax-credit-for-another-year-with-crucial-language-chan" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the 2012 extension of the wind production tax credit</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. “We have received zero funding from any source for our efforts to promote better energy policies.”</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Everyone involved with AWED (including me) is an unpaid volunteer, who is committed to Science-based energy policies,” John Droz, the founder of AWED, told the Energy and Policy Institute via email in 2017.</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“So the short answer is that Dave was paid nothing for any efforts he contributed to promoting Science,” Droz said. (Banks often goes by his middle name, David or Dave)</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, asked if other “individual, organizations, or companies may have been paying Banks for his work on wind energy issues while he was a ‘volunteer’ for AWED,” Droz pleaded ignorance.</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“I have no knowledge of any other groups that Dave was connected with during the period of time he volunteered for AWED,” said Droz.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 102);"><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks&nbsp;</span><a href="https://sccefile.scc.virginia.gov/Business/S4174399" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">started the Battle Group</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;and worked as&nbsp;</span><a href="https://archive.fo/OxBF7" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AWED’s director of D.C. operations</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">&nbsp;after a 2011-2012 stint on the staff of </span><b>Republican Senator James Inhofe, where he&nbsp;</b></span><b><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/inhofe-staffer-asks-oil-lobbyist-partners-for-better-coordination-and-communication-dd4a8856677/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sparked controversy</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;with&nbsp;</span><a href="http://d7.freedomworks.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Executive_Order_Memo.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a leaked memo</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;that used the words “our partners” to describe the oil industry.</span></b></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Just after Banks left Inhofe’s staff,&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.politicopro.com/energy/story/2012/08/inhofe-aide-exits-epw-013570" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Politico Pro</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">&nbsp;($) asked Banks about his ties with the l</span><b>obbyist C. Boyden Gray, FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity.</b><span style="font-weight: inherit;"> Here is how Banks responded:</span></span></font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 4px 0px 0px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: rgb(52, 62, 71); border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-weight: inherit; margin: 1em 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 67.65px; vertical-align: baseline; quotes: "" ""; line-height: 1.6; position: relative;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="">“I was kind of on the circuit with some of these guys, but there’s obviously a limit of what you can do in the Senate,” he said, noting a desire to do media appearances and speeches. “I’d like to do more of that if possible.”</font></span></p></blockquote><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2009-2011, Banks had worked as a partner for Boyden Gray & Associates, where according to his&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LinkedIn profile</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">&nbsp;he was a registered l</span><b>obbyist for Constellation Energy, which&nbsp;</b></span><a href="http://www.exeloncorp.com/newsroom/Pages/pr_20120312_EXC_MergerClose.aspx" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>merged with Exelon </b><span style="font-weight: inherit;">in 2012</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. While Banks was working with AWED in 2012, C. Boyden Gray was&nbsp;</span><a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=86013D81-E8B4-442F-A16B-90FA32C5926D&filingTypeID=78" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">lobbying against the wind PTC</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;for Exelon, which&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-the-us-needs-a-networked-energy-grid/2012/10/11/e2c14c92-13da-11e2-be82-c3411b7680a9_story.html?utm_term=.9df8ad95a5b2" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">along with Gray</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;publicly&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.exeloncorp.com/newsroom/Pages/pr_20121213_EXC_WINDPTC.aspx" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">campaigned for the PTC’s immediate expiration</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gray also served at the time on&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/c-boyden-gray-tobacco-tea-party-and-dirty-energy/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the board of directors for Freedomworks</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, which partnered with Banks and AWED to manufacture public opposition to the wind PTC.</span></font></p><div id="attachment_5153" class="wp-caption aligncenter no-underline" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px auto 1.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; max-width: 100%; width: 567px;">[twt]
<p id="caption-attachment-5153" class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 567px; letter-spacing: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">George David Banks tweeted links to Freedomworks’ attacks on the wind production tax credit.</font></p></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Exelon also for several years&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/exelon-pepco-merger-exelon-history-anti-clean-energy-lobbying/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">funded the Koch-backed American Energy Alliance’s</span></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;attacks on the wind PTC. T</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his group was another member of the “unusual coalition” that Banks and AWED&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.rstreet.org/news-release/dec-13-press-conference-on-ending-the-wind-production-tax-credit/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">campaigned alongside</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in 2012 and 2013.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Exelon did not respond to a request for comment on whether it made any payments to Banks or the Battle Group during the time period in question.</font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Droz’s 2012 proposal for a national PR campaign by local anti-wind activists had called for “joining forces” with a number of national Koch-backed groups. Sure enough, it was Christine Harbin of the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity that organized&nbsp;</span><a href="https://noauglaizewind.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/wind-ptc.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a 2012 letter</span></a><span style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;signed by a number of local anti-wind groups and national organizations backed by the Koch brothers, according to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://noauglaizewind.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/archive.docx" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a document</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-weight: inherit;">&nbsp;found on the website of one of the signers, Auglaize Neighbors United.</span><b> Among the signers were AWED, Freedomworks, and the American Energy Alliance.</b></span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We are working with several other national organizations who are also against the PTC,” according to an update found in that same document from the Auglaize Neighbors United website. “Our DC liaison, Dave Banks, has been actively working with these groups, who have been meeting once a week to discuss strategy, etc.”</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AWED’s relationships with Banks and other D.C. insiders opened some powerful doors in Washington. Banks joined Droz and other AWED supporters for a meeting with staff for then House Speaker John Boehner, according to a “</span><a href="http://pweb.westelcom.com/brvmug//WindPower/DC_PTC_Trip_Report.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AWED December 2012 DC PTC Trip Report</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">” that Droz posted online.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Asked about these relationships in 2017, Droz again feigned ignorance.</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Of course I am familiar with Americans for Prosperity, Freedomworks, and Exelon,” Droz told the Energy and Policy Institute. “None of those people (to my knowledge) paid anyone to assist in this issue.”</font></span></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bank’s public work as AWED’s director of D.C. operations appears to have ended sometime in 2013, around the same time he&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/news/former-white-house-advisor-environmental-quality-george-david-banks-joins-csis" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">joined the Center for Strategic & International Studies</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;(CSIS). At CSIS, Banks&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/unintended-consequences-energy-mandates-and-subsidies-america%E2%80%99s-civil-nuclear-fleet" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">again fought against the wind PTC</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;alongside&nbsp;</span><a href="https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/130614_Wallace_RestoringUSLeadershipNuclearEnergy_WEB.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">C. Boyden Gray and Exelon</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. Banks continued to&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-accf-report-epas-massive-clean-power-plan-subsidies-for-wind-reinforce-calls-against-ptc-renewal-300185349.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">target the wind PTC</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in 2015, while executive vice president for the American Council for Capital Formation, where he later&nbsp;</span><a href="http://accf.org/2016/10/05/clinton-misses-point-of-trumps-tweet-on-chinas-climate-hoax/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">defended Donald Trump’s tweet</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;that claimed climate change was a hoax manufactured by the Chinese.</span></font></p><h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 25.3625px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">George David Banks faces questions about his past lobbying in 2017</font></span></h4><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks has faced scrutiny as&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.citizenvox.org/2017/06/26/36-former-lobbyists-working-trump-clear-conflicts-interest/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">one of many former lobbyists</span></a></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">&nbsp;appointed by Trump to work on the same issues they lobbied on within the past two years, despite a campaign pledge to “drain the swamp.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">” Banks was registered as having lobbied for the American Council on Capital Formation (ACCF) on “Tax, Environment, and Regulatory Issues” in&nbsp;</span></span><a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=CD62DEAE-82F3-4B54-A38B-03E6C8829E21&filingTypeID=78" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2015</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=getFilingDetails&filingID=CC626C97-78EB-4D7F-94F6-0A183AEC7495&filingTypeID=51" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">2016</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. Banks and ACCF now&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/03/how-trump-administration-may-be-skirting-its-own-ethics-rules/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">claim</span></a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;he was “mistakenly” registered as a lobbyist, and that the work Banks did for ACCF did not actually qualify as lobbying.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As mentioned earlier, in 2009-2011, Banks was also a partner in Boyden, Gray & Associates, where his&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">LinkedIn profile</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;discloses he was a “Registered lobbyist for Constellation, FirstEnergy and Nuclear Energy Institute.” Lobbying reports for Banks from this time can be in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="http://disclosures.house.gov/ld/ldsearch.aspx" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">House</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=selectfields" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">Senate</a>&nbsp;lobbying disclosure databases.&nbsp;</span></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style=""><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks worked on&nbsp;“lobbying campaigns” for&nbsp;</span><a href="https://archive.fo/OxBF7#selection-975.0-975.279" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AWED</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the Battle Group</span></a>, according to statements about his work</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;found online.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> However, searches of the&nbsp;</span></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">House</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Senate</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;lobbying disclosure databases found no reports for lobbying done by “George David Banks” between 2012 and 2014, which covers the time period he worked for AWED and ran the Battle Group.</span></font></p><h4 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px 0px 25.3625px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; line-height: 1.2;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What Banks’ anti-wind allies want from Trump</font></span></h4><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“FYI I have some connections to the Trump transition team, and (as you can tell from news stories), things are moving along quite quickly,” Droz&nbsp;</span><a href="http://drrichswier.com/2016/11/21/trump-transition-recommendations-on-energy-the-environment-and-education/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">wrote to supporters</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;shortly after the 2016 election.&nbsp;</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Droz’s post-election message also included a revealing “</span><a href="http://wiseenergy.org/Energy/Trump/What_Needs_To_Be_Fixed.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">list</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;of some major issues that need addressing” by the Trump administration. The list included a call to “Terminate special renewable subsidies (e.g. PTC and ITC).” Droz and AWED also&nbsp;</span><a href="http://cornwallalliance.org/2017/05/joint-letter-from-42-groups-on-paris-climate-treaty/" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">joined a letter</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;that called on Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement,&nbsp;</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">which was signed by many of the special interest groups they worked with on previous attacks on the wind PTC.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The American Energy Alliance, with which Banks worked closely during his time at AWED, backed Trump’s presidential campaign and has played an&nbsp;</span><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/obscure-think-tank-gains-influence-1644feb0b813/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">outsized role</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;in defining the new Trump administration. The Institute for Energy Research, the American Energy Alliance’s research arm, continues to&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.masterresource.org/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">promote Droz’s anti-wind work</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;on its blog, MasterResources.org</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Still, ending the wind PTC before it’s current expiration date of 2020&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.utilitydive.com/news/how-federal-tax-reform-could-complicate-prospects-for-renewable-energy/436194/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">appears to be a non-priority</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;for most Republican lawmakers in Washington, and it’s worth a reminder that&nbsp;</span><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/260890-trump-backs-wind-power-tax-break" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Trump actually backed the PTC</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;while on the campaign trail.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But Droz and AWED have found some success working with Republicans and Koch-backed groups at the state level since 2012. In 2017, Droz&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.coastalreview.org/2017/01/18845/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">provided support</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;to Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina who tried to halt an Amazon wind farm&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2017/02/08/opposition-amazon-wind-farm-nc-lawmakers-cite-alternativefacts/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">based on the pretense</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;that it posed a risk to a Navy radar installation –</span><a href="http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/01/20/navy-wind-farm-opposed-gop-lawmakers-wont-harm-radar.html" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;a claim the Navy denied</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. One of those same lawmakers, Senate Majority Leader Harry Brown, later&nbsp;</span><a href="http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/06/28/windbreaker-john-droz-pleaded-gop-senators-kill-h589-senate-hear-bill-today/#sthash.qYvkeqnZ.dpbs" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">tacked a moratorium on new wind farms</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;onto a major solar bill that was signed into law –&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.heartland.org/news-opinion/news/north-carolina-texas-limit-attractiveness-of-new-wind-farm-developments" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a move that pleased Droz</span></a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">.&nbsp;During a recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heartland.org/multimedia/podcasts/john-droz-states-leading-the-way-in-protecting-national-security-and-military-bases-from-wind-farm-siting-problems" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">podcast interview</a>&nbsp;with H. Sterling Burnett of the Heartland Institute, Droz said he also supported a successful effort by state lawmakers in Texas to&nbsp;<a href="http://nawindpower.com/texas-governor-signs-tax-credit-bill-wind-near-military-airfields" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">pass legislation</a>&nbsp;that makes new wind farms located near military bases ineligible for property tax exemptions.</span></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The local communities and states that Droz and AWED target next will do well to remember whose interests these wind power opponents have aligned with, and it’s not the interests of&nbsp;<a href="http://news.gallup.com/poll/206159/americans-tilt-toward-protecting-environment-alternative-fuels.aspx" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: 0px 0px 2px; border-top-style: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(196, 209, 224); border-left-color: initial; border-image: initial; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out 0s;">the majority Americans who want to see more, not less, support for wind power</a>.&nbsp;</font></span></p><div class="sharedaddy sd-block sd-like jetpack-likes-widget-wrapper jetpack-likes-widget-loaded" id="like-post-wrapper-107639594-5145-63a7af94c085f" data-src="https://widgets.wp.com/likes/#blog_id=107639594&post_id=5145&origin=www.energyandpolicy.org&obj_id=107639594-5145-63a7af94c085f" data-name="like-post-frame-107639594-5145-63a7af94c085f" data-title="Like or Reblog" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; min-height: 50px; position: relative; width: 845.662px; clear: both;"><li class="meta-cat" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;"><span style="letter-spacing: 1px; text-transform: uppercase;">p</span>osted in:</span>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/front-groups/alliance-for-wise-energy-decisions/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/utilities/exelon/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Exelon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/koch-brothers/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Brothers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/category/wind/" rel="category tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Wind</a>&nbsp;</li><li class="meta-tag" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: large; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 10px 20px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: top; display: inline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: 700; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block;">Tagged in:</span>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/alliance-for-wise-energy-decisions/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">alliance for wise energy decisions</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/american-legislative-exchange-council/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/americans-for-prosperity/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Americans for Prosperity</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/anti-wind-groups/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">anti-wind groups</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/awed/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">AWED</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/c-boyden-gray/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">C. Boyden Gray</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/donald-trump/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/exelon/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Exelon</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/freedomworks/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">FreedomWorks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/george-david-banks/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">george david banks</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/john-droz/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">John Droz</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/koch-brothers/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Koch Brothers</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/production-tax-credit/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Production Tax Credit</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/wind/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">Wind</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/tag/wind-power-opponents/" rel="tag" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;">wind power opponents</a></li></div></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">time</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;FEBRUARY 14, 2018 3:19 PM EST</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Asenior White House official resigned Wednesday after learning that his past marijuana use would keep him from receiving a security clearance, according to a Politico report.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The departure of George David Banks, who advised the White House on energy and environment as a member of the National Economic Council, comes amid growing criticism of a slew of senior officials working in the Trump administration without permanent security clearance.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Banks told Politico that the White House Counsel’s office said Tuesday that he would not receive permanent clearance because he had admitted to smoking pot in 2013. The White House subsequently accepted his offer of resignation, he said.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It was an honor to serve the president at the White House and I look forward to supporting the president in the future,” he told Politico.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter resigned last Wednesday following public allegations that he abused multiple ex-wives. David Sorensen, a White House speechwriter, resigned on Friday over domestic abuse allegations. As many as 40 White House officials are said to be working without full security clearance, including Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son and law and key advisor, according to a CNN report.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Banks, a former aide in the George W. Bush administration, advised the Trump White House on international energy, environment and climate issues. He often served as the administration’s public face on international climate change issues, including at international climate change negotiations.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">White House officials in at least the previous administration have admitted to smoking marijuana, including President Obama and his National Security Advisor Susan Rice. The Trump administration has shifted gears on marijuana, making enforcement of the federal restrictions on the drug a priority.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The White House did not respond to a request for comment. An email to Banks’s White House email address was returned as undeliverable early Wednesday afternoon.</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">dk 12 22</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-0" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw B433VpEfaxl6n8VNRUDy NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:www.atlanticcouncil.org&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain atlanticcouncil.org" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.atlanticcouncil.org.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.atlanticcouncil.org</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;expert › george-david-banks</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 BrPN5UiFwJN5HlfRhga9 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/expert/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks - Atlantic Council</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dave&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center.&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;is an economist, political analyst, and policy advocate, focusing on climate change, energy, and trade. He was previously the chief strategist for the Republican side of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-1" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:bipartisanpolicy.org&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain bipartisanpolicy.org" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/bipartisanpolicy.org.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/person/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://bipartisanpolicy.org</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;person › george-david-banks</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/person/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks | Bipartisan Policy Center</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;Fellow Media Enquiries Publications Dave&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;is an economist, political analyst, and policy advocate, focusing on climate change, energy, and trade. He is Chief Strategist for the Republican side of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-2" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:www.sipa.columbia.edu&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain sipa.columbia.edu" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.sipa.columbia.edu.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/communities-connections/faculty/george-david-banks" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.sipa.columbia.edu</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;communities-connections › faculty › george-david-banks</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/communities-connections/faculty/george-david-banks" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks | Columbia SIPA</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;| Columbia SIPA Visit Apply Giving Admissions Information For Global Research & Impact A SIPA Education Communities & Connections Pathways to Careers&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;Adjunct Research Scholar of International and Public Affairs gdb2127@columbia.edu Personal Details Personal Details</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-3" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:www.linkedin.com&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain linkedin.com" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.linkedin.com.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.linkedin.com</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;in › george-david-banks-96b2635</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-david-banks-96b2635" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks - Senior Fellow (Climate and Trade Policy and ...</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;Republican Climate Policy Advocate, Policy Maker, and Political Operative Fairfax, Virginia, United States 4K followers 500+ connections Join to connect Atlantic Council...</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-4" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:www.atlanticcouncil.org&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain atlanticcouncil.org" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.atlanticcouncil.org.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/news/press-releases/george-david-banks-joins-atlantic-councils-global-energy-center-as-nonresident-senior-fellow/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.atlanticcouncil.org</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;news › press-releases › george-david-banks-joins-atlantic-councils-global-energy-center-as-nonresident-senior-fellow</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/news/press-releases/george-david-banks-joins-atlantic-councils-global-energy-center-as-nonresident-senior-fellow/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks Joins Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center as ...</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="MILR5XIVy9h75WrLvKiq" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Mar 16, 2021</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center The Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center promotes energy security by working alongside government, industry, civil society, and public stakeholders to devise pragmatic solutions to the geopolitical, sustainability, and economic challenges of the changing global energy landscape.</span></font></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-5" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:www.energyandpolicy.org&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain energyandpolicy.org" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.energyandpolicy.org.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/george-david-banks-trump-wind-power/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://www.energyandpolicy.org</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;george-david-banks-trump-wind-power</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://www.energyandpolicy.org/george-david-banks-trump-wind-power/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks: Trump's climate advisor worked for anti-wind group</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>, a top advisor to President Trump on climate change, once worked as the "D.C. liaison" for the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED), a coalition of "individuals, organizations, communities, and businesses" founded by the anti-wind activist and climate skeptic John Droz, Jr.</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-6" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:thehill.com&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain thehill.com" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/thehill.com.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://thehill.com/people/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://thehill.com</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;people › george-david-banks</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://thehill.com/people/george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">George David Banks | The Hill | Page 1</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="MILR5XIVy9h75WrLvKiq" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Jun 18, 2021</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Biographical Data,&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;Occupation International Energy and Environment, Special Assistant to the President, 2017 - 2018 Education&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;Mason University School of Law, J.D....</span></font></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-7" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:en.wikipedia.org&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain en.wikipedia.org" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://duckduckgo.com/assets/icons/favicons/wikipedia.2x.png" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://en.wikipedia.org</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;wiki › David_Banks(climate_adviser)</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Banks(climate_adviser)" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">David Banks (climate adviser) - Wikipedia</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;(climate adviser)&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;"<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>"&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>&nbsp;is an American political advisor who served in the administrations of US Presidents&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;W. Bush and Donald Trump, advising on energy policy and climate change. He is currently the executive vice president of the American Council for Capital Formation, a pro-business think tank. Career [ edit]</font></span></div></div></article></div><div class="nrn-react-div" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><article id="r1-8" data-handled-by-react="true" data-testid="result" data-nrn="result" class="yQDlj3B5DI5YO8c8Ulio CpkrTDP54mqzpuCSn1Fa SKlplDuh9FjtDprgoMxk" style="margin: 0px; padding: calc(var(--px-in-rem)7.2) 10px; border: 1px solid transparent; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; border-radius: var(--rounded-md); box-shadow: var(--theme-shadow-ui); cursor: pointer;"><div class="OQ_6vPwNhCeusNiEDcGp" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: flex; flex-grow: 0;"><div class="mwuQiMOjmFJ5vmN6Vcqw NvMwcsUp56q4W2Z_b8E7 hAeZQDlu0XXeGwL7U722 SgSTKoqQXa0tEszD2zWF LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-url-main); vertical-align: baseline; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-url-main);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="DpVR46dTZaePK29PDkz8" style="margin: -4px 0.5em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; display: inline-block; max-width: 16px; overflow: hidden;"><a href="https://duckduckgo.com/?q=george%20david%20banks+site:time.com&atb=v353-6vb" rel="noopener" title="Search domain time.com" data-testid="result-extras-site-search-link" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/time.com.ico" height="16" width="16" loading="lazy" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: middle; max-width: 16px;" /></a></span><a href="https://time.com/5158520/white-house-resignation-george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" data-testid="result-extras-url-link" class="Rn_JXVtoPVAFyGkcaXyK" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="Wo6ZAEmESLNUuWBkbMxx" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">https://time.com</span><span class="oaxCunrdbQs3WQDCq3Ls" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">&nbsp;›&nbsp;5158520 › white-house-resignation-george-david-banks</span></a></font></div></div><div class="ikg2IXiCD14iVX7AdZo1" style="margin-top: calc(var(--px-in-rem)2.1024); margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: calc(var(--px-in-rem)*4.09696); margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="LnpumSThxEWMIsDdAT17 CXMyPcQ6nDv47DKFeywM" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: normal; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-title-main); vertical-align: baseline; letter-spacing: var(--letter-spacing-result-title-main); position: relative;"><a href="https://time.com/5158520/white-house-resignation-george-david-banks/" rel="noopener" target="self" class="eVNpHGjtxRBq_gLOfGDr LQNqh2U1kzYxREs65IJu" data-testid="result-title-a" data-handled-by-react="true" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; display: block;"><span class="EKtkFWMYpwzMKOYr0GYm LQVY1Jpkk8nyJ6HBWKAk" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: top; display: inline-block; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-decoration: inherit; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">White House Official George David Banks Resigns Over Pot | Time</font></span></a></h2></div><div class="E2eLOJr8HctVnDOTM8fs" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="OgdwYG6KE2qthn9XQWFC" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: var(--line-height-result-snippet-main); vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The departure of&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">George</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">David</span>&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 600; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;">Banks</span>, who advised the White House on energy and environment as a member of the National Economic Council, comes amid growing criticism of a slew of senior officials...</font></span></div></div></article></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div></div>