Unfortunately, the police injured dozens of these protesters. Now, the local citizens are threatening to burn the plant down if built because it would endanger their health and traditional livelihoods. If the project were to be shut down, U.S. funds could be lost. Similarly, pipeline projects in Yemen and Colombia were recently sabotaged. These projects illustrate that dirty coal plants and oil and gas extraction and pipeline programs can subject U.S. taxpayer dollars to unacceptable risks.
Taxpayers are at risk when agencies refuse to disclose what projects they support.
U.S. taxpayers have a right to know what fossil fuel projects OPIC supports overseas. OPIC's Annual Reports provide Congress and taxpayers with an ambiguous and distorted picture. Therefore, the public has no way of knowing whether or not a contract was actually signed, which would result in official U.S. financial exposure and could create debt for developing countries. These agencies must shift from supporting fossil fuel development to financing sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency. OPIC and Ex-Im should be required to develop mechanisms that allow for at least a 20 percent shift towards clean renewable energy spending over the next five years.