The Western Way (TWW) is an ostensibly right-of-center advocacy group that works on energy and environment issues. The Colorado-based organization seeks to combat “the false narrative that conservatives do not value the environment”¹ and “provide constructive conservative solutions.” ² Despite presenting itself as a center-right organization and their abundant use of the word “conservative” in its branding, TWW supports various left-of-center environmentalist policies, including conservation initiatives and public land projects. ³

Leadership

Former U.S. Representative U.S. Representative Scott McInnis (R-CO) created the Western Way after leaving Congress in 2005. McInnis had promised to take what was left of his campaign funds and launch a nonprofit organization to address issues like education and breast-cancer research. ⁴ However, in 2009, McInnis instead created the Western Way Political Action Committee and donated much of the left over money to candidates and to the legal defense fund of ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). ⁵

In addition to the controversy over his political activities after leaving Congress, McInnis was discovered to have plagiarized an essay while working as a fellow at the Hasan Family Foundation in 2010, while McInnis was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Colorado in 2010. ⁶

According to their 2017 tax filing, his wife Lori McInnis and daughter Tessa Canterbury sit on the Western Way board. ⁷

Bob Beauprez, a former Colorado Republican Party chairman, two-term U.S. Representative, and two-time unsuccessful Republican nominee for governor, is the organization’s chairman. Beauprez supports taking a middle approach to energy policy. ⁸ In 2017, Beauprez’s political advocacy group, Colorado Pioneer Action, was found to have committed multiple violations of Colorado campaign finance regulations and fined over $17,000. ⁹

Advocacy

In 2017, TWW supported HB17-1227, legislation that would have extended a program that forces Xcel Energy customers to pay the company not to produce electricity. That year, TWW also supported a bill described as “rent-seeking” which would have furthered Xcel Energy’s monopolization of the wind industry in Colorado. Further, TWW supported HB17-1242 which would have raised the state sales tax by 21 percent for transportation. ¹⁰

Work in Other States

In 2018, the Western Way launched a chapter in Arizona. ¹¹ The advisory board of the Arizona chapter includes multiple state senators and lobbyists. ¹² In a 2019 op-ed, advisory board member and Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) said that the chapter will do work on a number of environmental issues, including the Salt River Project. ¹³ As the main electrical utility for the Phoenix metropolitan area, the Salt River Project has faced scrutiny for its business practices,¹⁴ and in 2015 a judge ruled it acted illegally when setting unfair rates for solar customers. ¹⁵

In addition to the chapter in Arizona, TWW has also been active in Nevada, partnering with the Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2019 to publish a study on the economic impact of rural environmentalist energy projects. ¹⁶

Ties to Other Groups

In 2018, the Western Way launched a new initiative called the Rural Energy Network to advance an energy agenda within local rural communities. ¹⁷ Members of the network include various county commissions and county economic development directors¹⁸, as well as Progressive 15 – an advocacy organization in Northeast Colorado that supports increasing both the state income tax and sales tax. ¹⁹

TWW is also a member of the Conservative Energy Network, an advocacy organization of various state-based right-of-center environmental organizations. Despite the name, the Conservative Energy Network is heavily funded by numerous left-of-center organizations, including the MacArthur Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Turner Foundation. ²⁰

1. “What We Do.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/what-we-do-1
2. “What We Are Doing.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/what-we-are-doing-1
3. “Western Conservative Group Outlines Trump’s Possible Conservation Agenda.” PR Newswire. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/western-conservative-group-outlines-trumps-possible-conservation-agenda-300357439.html
4. Fender, Jessica. “McInnis shelved nonprofit he pledged to fund after leaving Congress.” The Denver Post. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.denverpost.com/2009/08/11/mcinnis-shelved-nonprofit-he-pledged-to-fund-after-leaving-congress/
5. “Call for Scott “McLobbyist” McInniss to keep his commitment.” Colorado Pols. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/9155
6. Burnett, Sara. “Ex-GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInniss won’t be disciplined in plagiarism complaint.” The Denver Post. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.denverpost.com/2011/05/23/ex-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-scott-mcinnis-wont-be-disciplined-in-plagiarism-complaint/
7. Internal Revenue Service. Form 990, The Western Way. 2017. https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2017/841/200/2017-841200408-0fd34cc8-9O.pdf
8. Bunch, Joey. “Bob Beauprez: Colo.’s partisan past should bend toward the middle.” Colorado Politics. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/cover-story-bob-beauprez-colo-s-partisan-past-should-bend/article_951aa0b4-998c-5a50-ad51-dec3f9db6907.html
9. “Beauprez Group Guilty of Violating Campaign Law.” Colorado Pols. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/94145/breaking-beauprez-group-guilty-of-violating-campaign-law#sthash.HQ0qH5fB.sOWUTPdg.dpbs
10. Cooke, Amy. “Beware of global warming opportunists in conservative clothing.” Independent Institute. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://i2i.org/beware-of-global-warming-opportunists-in-conservative-clothing/
11. Donahey, Megan. “The Western Way launches Arizona chapter.” Chamber Business News. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://chamberbusinessnews.com/2018/09/25/the-western-way-launches-arizona-chapter/
12. “The Western Way Announces Arizona Advisory Board.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/tww-blog/2018/7/26/the-western-way-announces-arizona-advisory-board
13. Fann, Karen. “Let’s harness the power of free-markets to find conservation, environmental solutions.” Arizona Capitol Times. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/02/15/lets-harness-the-power-of-free-markets-to-find-conservation-environmental-solutions/
14. Randazoo, Ryan. “SRP system for electing leaders criticized as unfair and undemocratic.” Arizona Republic. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/energy/2019/06/06/salt-river-project-system-electing-leaders-criticized-unfair/1361655001/
15. Weaver, John. “Tesla to sell 25 MW battery as part of Salt River Project settlement.” PV Magazine. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/03/07/tesla-to-sell-25-mw-battery-as-part-of-salt-river-project-settlement/
16. “Nevada’s Rural Renewables Generate $7.9 Billion in Economic Impact.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/tww-blog/2019/1/15/nevadas-rural-renewables-generate-79-billion-in-economic-impact
17. “Rural Energy Network Principles.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/rural-energy-network
18. “Rural Energy Network Members.” The Western Way. Accessed February 1, 2020. http://www.thewesternway.org/ren-members
19. “Policy Positions.” Progressive 15. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://pro15.org/policy-positions/
20. Mooney, Kevin. “What is the ‘Conservative Energy Network’ and why is it back by leftist funders?.” Washington Examiner. Accessed February 1, 2020. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/what-is-the-conservative-energy-network-and-why-is-it-backed-by-leftist-funders