Topics in the News: Alternative Energy
John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil
: Jun 27, 2019
Institute wind & solar, as well as methane reductions
In Colorado, we're closing a couple of coal plants, replacing it with wind, solar and batteries and the monthly bills go down. We're building a network for electric vehicles. We are working with the oil and gas industry and we've
created the first methane regulations in the country.Methane is 25 times worse than CO2. We've got to recognize that only by bringing people together, businesses, nonprofits-- we will be doomed to failure.
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Source: June Democratic Primary debate (second night in Miami)
Joe Biden on Technology
: Jun 27, 2019
Full electric vehicle future by 2030
We built the largest wind farm in the world, the largest solar energy facility in the world. We drove down the price of both of those renewable energy sources. I would immediately insist that we build 500,000 recharging stations throughout
America, so that we can go to a full electric vehicle future by the year 2030. I would make sure that we invested $400 million in new science and technology, to be the exporter of the green economy that can create millions of jobs.
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Source: June Democratic Primary debate (second night in Miami)
Tim Ryan on Energy & Oil
: Jun 26, 2019
Must reconnect with working class to address climate change
Q: How do we pay for climate mitigation?Tim Ryan: We have a perception problem with the Democratic Party. We are not connecting to the working class people in the industrial Midwest, to get those workers back on our side so we can say we're going to
build electric vehicles, we're going to build solar panels. All I'm saying is here, if we don't address that fundamental problem with our connection to workers--white, black, brown, gay, straight--working-class people none of this is going to get done.
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Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)
Julian Castro on Environment
: Jun 26, 2019
Executives must deal with disasters in sustainable way
My first visit after I announced my candidacy wasn't to Iowa or New Hampshire. It was to San Juan, Puerto Rico. When I was mayor of San Antonio, we moved our local public utility, we began to shift it from coal-fired plants to solar and other
renewables, and also created more than 800 jobs doing that. When I was HUD secretary, we worked on the National Disaster Resilience Competition to invest in communities that were trying to rebuild from natural disasters in a sustainable way.
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Source: June Democratic Primary debate (first night in Miami)
Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil
: Apr 22, 2019
End fossil fuel; move toward wind and solar
We have got to take on the fossil fuel industry and make it very clear that we are moving away from fossil fuel and not blaming people who work in the coal or gas or oil industry. All they are trying to do is feed their families.
We can move aggressively toward wind and solar. We have got to rethink our transportation system and build the kind of state-of-the-art rail system that our country needs which will help us transport people and cargo in a much more nonpolluting way.
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Source: CNN Town Hall 2020: 5 candidates back-to-back
Tulsi Gabbard on Energy & Oil
: Apr 18, 2019
OFF Fossil Fuels: retrofit homes & fund new technology
Q: Do you support a federal carbon tax?Gabbard: My OFF Fossil Fuels Act (H.R. 3671) would take the fossil-fuel tax credits that are repealed and create the OFF Fossil Fuels Fund, including low-income weatherization and retrofit assistance, electric
vehicle rebate program for consumers, extension of tax credits for wind and solar energy, and environmental justice provisions for a clean energy future.
Q: Do you support increasing federal funding for clean-energy research?
Gabbard: My OFF
Fossil Fuels Act states that we must invest in early-stage proof-of-concept technologies. The U.S. National Laboratories are centers of basic scientific research already working on technology programs such as grid modernization and security, battery
storage, solar and wind technology efficiency. Focus on investing in early-stage breakthrough energy technologies. Funding these technologies could lead to innovations that could dramatically change how energy is generated, stored and distributed."
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Source: 2019 "Meet the Candidates" (NY Times.com)
Kirsten Gillibrand on Technology
: Apr 18, 2019
Develop renewable energy tech; cut transportation emissions
Q: Do you support new regulations to cut greenhouse gas emissionsA: Yes, she would support additional regulations to achieve deeper cuts in emissions across the economy, including in the transportation sector.
Q: Do you support increasing federal
funding for clean-energy research?
A: She strongly supports increasing our federal investment in research to develop and deploy renewable energy technologies like wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels as rapidly as possible.
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Source: 2019 "Meet the Candidates" (NY Times.com)
Julian Castro on Energy & Oil
: Apr 11, 2019
Cut carbon emissions; invest in renewable energy
I would recommit the United States to the Paris climate accord. I like the concept of a Green New Deal. We need to invest in renewable energy. We need to drastically cut down carbon emissions. We need to convince other countries around the world to do
the same thing. I'm proud that when I was secretary of housing and urban development, we worked with housing authorities across the United States to improve their embrace of renewable energy, solar energy, other types of renewable energy.
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Source: CNN Town Hall: 2020 presidential hopefuls
Tim Ryan on Energy & Oil
: Apr 7, 2019
Renewable energy will bring economic benefits
He wants the U.S. to harness the economic benefits of renewables. "There's so many industries out there growing. Wind and solar is growing at 25% to 30% a year. By 2030, there's gonna be 30 million electric vehicles. I want those vehicles made in the
United States. I want the batteries made in the United States. I want the charging stations made in the United States."
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Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"
Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil
: Feb 25, 2019
Transform our energy system away from fossil fuel
We are going to have to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. We know how to do that. The technology is there. That technology will only improve. Here's the other good news when we make that
transformation: We're going to create millions of good-paying jobs weatherizing our homes, changing our transportation system, moving aggressively into wind and solar and other sustainable energies.
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Source: CNN Town Hall on 2020 Democratic presidential primary
Julian Castro on Energy & Oil
: Feb 15, 2019
Green Jobs Leadership Council: more solar; less coal
Castro created a Green Jobs Leadership Council and voted for an incentive package to bring solar panel maker Nexolon America to the city. CPS Energy (San Antonio's publicly owned energy utility) invested $50 million in alternative energy research
and signed a deal for the world's largest solar installation, approved energy efficiency upgrades to three landmarks, lured green tech companies to the city, inked a deal to build five solar plants, and pledged to close one of its coal plants by 2018.
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Source: Jacobin Magazine on 2020 Democratic primary contenders
Julian Castro on Energy & Oil
: Feb 15, 2019
Supported both fossil fuel and green energy
San Antonio relied on a drilling boom in the Eagle Ford Shale, an oil and natural gas basin. It contributed to the city's poor air quality. This was Castro's "new energy economy": continued investment in and promotion of oil, natural gas,
and "clean coal," partnered with a movement toward alternative energy for electricity production. It was Obama's "all of the above" energy policy, but at the municipal level.
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Source: Jacobin Magazine on 2020 Democratic primary contenders
Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil
: Jan 2, 2019
Establish solar-cell; expand use of electric ferries
[Among Democrats running for President], Inslee is the only one who has actually run a government that has made climate-change policy central. He points to the towns in Washington that have become solar-cell farms, among other accomplishments.
There's also his plan to expand the use of electric ferries. "Without having a vision and having a sense of what could be, we would not be launching that effort right now," says the outgoing director of the state
commerce department. "As a country, we're certainly not going to be able to do it if we're hiding from facts from the world around us."Why climate change as a core issue?
This is like gay marriage, he figures: America is at a tipping point. Things are about to change. And voters will be looking for leaders who were already out front on the issue.
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Source: The Atlantic on 2020 presidential hopefuls, "Climate Change"
John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil
: Jul 12, 2017
Reduce greenhouse gas by 26% by 2025 and 35% by 2030
Gov. Hickenlooper declared that Colorado would join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition supporting a global climate agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Hickenlooper's order set a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26 percent
by 2025 compared with 2012 levels and by 35 percent by 2030. He maintained that cheap natural gas and increasingly competitive wind and solar power cost would allow the state to achieve the goals, which are similar to those set in the 2015 Paris Accord.
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Source: ColoradoPolitics.com on 2018 Colorado Gubernatorial race
John Kasich on Energy & Oil
: Apr 25, 2017
1978: Citizens Committee on Energy to discuss solar & wind
[In 1978] I was going to run against a incumbent state senator named Robert O'Shaughnessy, a household name in [Ohio's Fifteenth District]. Before I started my campaign, I created a group called the Citizens Committee on Energy, which talked about solar
and wind and related environmental issues. It turned out to be a meaningful platform, a way to get my name in the newspaper. The committee also served a dual purpose--it forced me to figure out if I could get people together on an issue.
I'd invite various energy experts to seminars, and then I'd invite the media. I figured this was a good way to build some credibility. Somewhere in there it occurred to me that if I was passing myself off as the chairman of the committee,
I ought to be duly elected, so a few friends I'd put on the "board" of the Citizens Committee on Energy shrugged their shoulders and elected me.
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Source: Two Paths, by John Kasich, p. 62-4
Cory Booker on Free Trade
: Apr 1, 2017
Deal with China despite their cheating
BROKEN PROMISE: : Booker said on his Senate campaign website, "China's cheating--through artificially depressing its currency and other unfair trade practices--is so damaging to American workers." But in the Senate, Booker called on
Vice President Joe Biden to help settle a trade dispute between the U.S. and China over solar equipment, rather than continue anti-dumping investigations and tariffs. Booker talked tough on China during the campaign, but caved in when it came to
actually negotiating a deal. We label this an "evolution" where Booker accepted that dealing with China gave more leverage than pressuring China from a stand-off position. ANALYSIS: Comparing the two contrasting statements,
Booker is in effect saying "China cheats--but let's deal with them anyway." Booker's campaign statements support "fair trade" - rewriting the rules--whereas his actions support "free trade"--making SOME sort of deal despite whatever problems come up.
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Source: Cory Booker 'Promises Broken,' by Jesse Gordon, p.129
John Kasich on Energy & Oil
: Dec 27, 2016
Keep state mandate on renewable energy
The solar industry got a boost with Gov. John Kasich's veto of a bill that would have made compliance with the state's renewable energy mandates voluntary for the next two years. Kasich broke ranks with the legislature's GOP leadership, vetoing a bill
crafted by some of the state's most conservative lawmakers, who believe wind and solar companies should compete against the state's entrenched power companies on their own. Kasich's veto follows a campaign by environmental, business and consumer
groups opposing the legislation. Many of them celebrated the veto on Tuesday. Here are some of their comments.The Sierra Club Ohio Chapter: "We commend Gov. Kasich for vetoing the Ohio Legislature's attempt to tie our state to outdated,
dirty, and expensive energy sources. The world is doubling down on wind, solar, and energy efficiency, and Ohio's robust manufacturing base is now in a better position to maximize that opportunity."
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Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer on 2018 Ohio gubernatorial race
Bernie Sanders on Energy & Oil
: Nov 15, 2016
Job training for transition to green energy
We have a national responsibility to make sure that livelihoods and families are helped, not hurt, by the transition to clean energy.
That is why I introduced the Clean Energy Worker Just Transition Act--to provide comprehensive job training and benefits to workers as they transition to making the solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries of the twenty-first century.
It will also direct resources to the most affected communities, particularly in Appalachian coal country,
to clean up the disastrous environmental legacy of coal mining, and to build the infrastructure needed to attract new investment and revitalize local economies.
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Source: Our Revolution, by Bernie Sanders, p. 253
Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil
: Oct 9, 2016
$60B to make US the clean energy superpower of 21st century
I will set three goals that we will achieve within ten years of taking office and which will make America the clean energy superpower of the 21st century:- Generate half of our electricity from clean sources, with half a billion solar panels
installed by the end of my first term.
- Cut energy waste in American homes, schools, hospitals and offices by 1/3 and make American manufacturing the cleanest and most efficient in the world.
- Reduce American oil consumption by a third through
cleaner fuels and more efficient cars, boilers, ships, and trucks.
To get there, my administration will implement and build on the range of pollution and efficiency standards and clean energy tax incentives that have made the US a global leader in
the battle against climate change. These standards set the floor, not the ceiling. I will launch a $60 billion Clean Energy Challenge to partner with those states, cities, and rural communities that are ready to take the lead on clean energy.
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Source: ScienceDebate.org: 20 questions for 2016 presidential race
Hillary Clinton on Technology
: Oct 9, 2016
Inspirational, achievable, and affordable space initiatives
Q: What should America's national goals be for space exploration?CLINTON: President Kennedy's challenge in 1962 to go to the Moon electrified the nation, prompted a long period of American leadership in science & technology, and spurred a generation
of innovators. In the decades since, we have explored the sun and every planet in our solar system. As president, my administration will build on this progress, promote innovation, and advance inspirational, achievable, and affordable space initiatives.
We must maintain our nation's leadership in space with a program that balances science, technology and exploration; protect our security and the future of the planet through international collaboration and Earth systems monitoring; and expand our
robotic presence in the solar system. As a young girl, I was so inspired by America's leadership and accomplishments in space that I wrote to NASA about becoming an astronaut. As president, I will help inspire the next generation of young Americans.
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Source: ScienceDebate.org: 20 questions for 2016 presidential race
Donald Trump on Energy & Oil
: Sep 26, 2016
America invested in solar panels and it was a disaster
CLINTON: Some country is going to be the clean-energy superpower of the 21st century. Donald thinks that climate change is a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.TRUMP: I did not--
CLINTON: I think it's real. I think science is real.
TRUMP: I do not
say that.
CLINTON: And I think it's important that we deal with it, both at home & abroad. Here's what we can do. We can deploy a half a billion more solar panels. We can have enough clean energy to power every home. We can build a new modern electric
grid. That's a lot of jobs; that's a lot of new economic activity.
TRUMP: She talks about solar panels. We invested in a solar company, our country. That was a disaster. They lost plenty of money on that one. Now, look, I'm a great believer in all
forms of energy, but we're putting a lot of people out of work. Our energy policies are a disaster. Our country is losing so much in terms of energy, in terms of paying off our debt. You can't do what you're looking to do with $20 trillion in debt.
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Source: First 2016 Presidential Debate at Hofstra University
Steve Bullock on Energy & Oil
: Jun 21, 2016
Promotes wind and solar power and clean coal for Montana
Governor Bullock wants funding to expand wind and solar power projects and find cleaner ways to burn coal. "Montanans expect that we will protect our clean air and water, our lucrative outdoor heritage, our communities and our farmers and ranchers.
I am committed to sustainable and responsible development of all of our energy resources." Bullock says coal is an important part of Montana's future. But he also said the energy market is changing and there are concerns about climate change.
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Source: Montana NPR on 2016 Montana gubernatorial race
Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil
: Mar 9, 2016
We need a bridge from coal to natural gas to clean energy
SANDERS: What candidates are saying is if we stand up to the fossil fuel industry, and transform our energy system away from coal and oil and gas to energy efficiency and wind and solar and geothermal and other sustainable technologies, you know what
happens to that Republican who listens to the scientists? That Republican loses his campaign funding from the Koch brothers. I'm the only candidate who says no president can do it all. We need a political revolution. When millions of people tell the
fossil fuel industry that their short-term profits are less significant than the long-term health of this planet, we will win. CLINTON: The clean power plan is something that Senator Sanders has said he would delay implementing, which makes no sense.
We need to implement the president's executive actions and quickly move to make a bridge from coal to natural gas to clean energy. That is the way we will keep the lights on while we are transitioning to a clean energy future.
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Source: 2016 PBS Democratic primary debate in Miami
Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil
: Feb 4, 2016
Half a billion solar panels in first 4 years
Q: There are three big lifts that you've talked about: immigration, gun reform, climate change. What do you do first?CLINTON: Well, I don't accept that premise. I think that we've got so much business we have to do. We've talked a lot tonight about
what we're against. But I'm for a lot of things. I don't want to just stop bad things from happening, I want to start good things from happening. And I believe, if I'm so fortunate to get the nomination, I will begin to work immediately on putting
together an agenda, beginning to talk with members of Congress and others about how we can push forward. I want to have half a billion more solar panels deployed, the first four years. I want to have enough clean energy to power
every home the next four years. I want us to keep working on the Affordable Care Act, to get not only to 100 percent coverage, but bring down the costs of prescription drugs and out-of-pocket costs.
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Source: MSNBC Democratic primary debate in New Hampshire
John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil
: Jan 14, 2016
Pursuing renewables; solar and wind
Upholding the highest public health and environmental standards, while promoting innovative energy development, is a cornerstone of our energy strategy. That means moving toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future and Colorado has already
risen to this challenge. We're a leader in the pursuit and promise of renewable energy. Sunrun is bringing 800 new solar jobs to our state. And Vestas Wind Systems added 350 new jobs at their Windsor, Brighton and Pueblo facilities.
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Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Colorado legislature
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 12, 2016
7 years of investment in solar & wind nationwide
Seven years ago, we made the single biggest investment in clean energy in our history. Here are the results. In fields from Iowa to Texas, wind power is now cheaper than dirtier, conventional power.
On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills and employs more Americans than coal--in jobs that pay better than average.
We're taking steps to give homeowners the freedom to generate and store their own energy--something, by the way, that environmentalists and Tea Partiers have teamed up to support.
And meanwhile, we've cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly 60 percent and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth. Gas under $2 a gallon ain't bad either.
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Source: 2016 State of the Union address
John Kasich on Energy & Oil
: Oct 20, 2015
Mandate that electric utilities use at least 8.5% renewables
Gov. John Kasich's position is that a proposed, indefinite halt to Ohio's mandate that utilities get more power from renewable sources like wind, solar and new technology is "unacceptable."Last year, the Republican-controlled General Assembly enacted
a two-year timeout in state law that required utilities to find at least 25 percent of their power from renewable or advanced technology sources by the year 2025. That two-year freeze is set to expire at the end of 2016, at which point the annual
benchmarks that utilities must achieve would resume if the legislature doesn't act.
A special legislative panel, however, recently recommended keeping the freeze in place indefinitely. Mr. Kasich said the indefinite freeze would be "unacceptable," but
he hasn't indicated what he expects to see instead.
[OnTheIssues follow-up: Gov. Kasich vetoed the indefinite freeze in 2016; the Ohio legislature then passed a compromise measure to reduce the renewable standard to 8.5% by 2022].
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Source: Toledo Blade on 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial race
Donald Trump on Energy & Oil
: Aug 10, 2015
Solar hasn't caught on because it has a 32-year payback
In March 2012, Trump said, "Solar hasn't caught on because it's a 32-year payback. Who wants a 32-year payback? The fact is, the technology is not there yet. Wind farms are hurting the country."
Trump has simply dismissed solar as an "unproven technology" despite solar's decades of rock-solid reliability. His 32 year payback assessment, even in 2012, did not take into account any of the tax incentives or rebates available to most Americans.
One can only assume that his criticisms of the government tax breaks for solar are strictly political in motivation, since his real estate empire is built
on the hundred of millions of dollars of taxpayer subsidies his projects receive.
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Source: 2015 SolarTribune.com on 2016 presidential hopefuls
John Kasich on Energy & Oil
: Aug 9, 2015
Climate change is a real issue, but the extent is unproven
I think that man absolutely affects the environment. But as to whether, you know, what the impact is, the overall impact, I think that's a legitimate debate. But what I do think is, you know, in my state of Ohio, you know, we preciously take care of
Lake Erie. We've reduced emissions by 30% over the last ten years. We believe in alternative energy. So of course we have to be sensitive to it. But we don't want to destroy people's jobs based on some theory that's not proven.
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Source: Meet the Press 2015 interviews of 2016 presidential hopefuls
Jay Inslee on Energy & Oil
: Jun 24, 2015
Supports oil refinery (plus biofuel) along Columbia River
Inslee supports an oil refinery along the majestic Columbia River. The proposed facility would produce 40-45,000 barrels of oil/day from Bakken crude delivered by rail cars. The "green" pitch: the refinery would also refine biofuel, which will lower the
plant's overall carbon footprint.Sounds a little back door doesn't it? This is the same Jay Inslee who proudly wears the mantle of "Greenest Governor" and claims to be an ardent opponent of fossil fuels? It doesn't add up. But it's election season.
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Source: Huffington Post on 2016 Washington gubernatorial race
Barack Obama on Technology
: Jan 20, 2015
Out to space not just to visit; but to stay
I want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that unleash new jobs--pushing out into the Solar System not just to visit, but to stay. Last month, we launched a new spacecraft as part of a re-energized space program that will send
American astronauts to Mars. In two months, to prepare us for those missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space. Good luck, Captain--and make sure to Instagram it.
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Source: 2015 State of the Union address
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 28, 2014
Natural gas is a "bridge fuel"; then go solar
One of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of-the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we've been in decades.
One of the reasons why is natural gas--if extracted safely, it's the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.
It's not just oil and natural gas production that's booming; we're becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced.
Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.
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Source: 2014 State of the Union address
Bill de Blasio on Energy & Oil
: Oct 22, 2013
No to fracking; yes to wind, solar, & geothermal
- Harnessing the Power of the Purse to Promote Energy Efficiency: The City of New York has enormous leverage through its purchasing power to promote the use of green products and increase energy efficiency.
- Commit to Renewable Energy:
The green collar economy begins with a clear commitment to alternative energy sources. Bill de Blasio will expand the city's investment in large-scale clean energy production, including wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower and biofuels.
-
Uphold Moratorium on Hydraulic Fracturing: In 2009, Bill de Blasio sponsored the resolution calling on federal and state agencies to assess the risks posed by hydrofracking to drinking water, and to apply appropriate regulations. He supports the
two-year fracking moratorium recently passed by the Assembly, and hopes the Senate will also approve the measure. Questions about health and environ-mental safety remain unanswered, and we can't afford to get this wrong.
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Source: 2013 Mayoral campaign website, www.billdeblasio.com
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Feb 13, 2013
FactCheck: Wind & solar doubled, but now only 1.4% of energy
Obama said "We have doubled . the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar." True, but they're still a very small percentage of energy production and consumption in the U.S.We looked at this claim when
Obama made it several times on the presidential campaign trail last fall. We found that wind and solar energy generation had doubled from 2008 to 2011. Consumption for wind also doubled, and it nearly doubled for solar.
But wind and solar were very small portions of energy generated before--and even after--that increase. Wind was 13% of all renewable energy generated in 2011. (Renewable includes biomass, such as ethanol, and hydro.)
Solar was 1.3% of renewable energy generated. Renewable energy altogether accounted for just 9% of U.S. energy consumption in 2011.
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Source: FactCheck.org on 2013 State of the Union Address
Tulsi Gabbard on Energy & Oil
: Nov 6, 2012
Tax incentives for wind, solar, biomass and wave energy
I will work to ensure that Hawai`i becomes the destination of choice for green energy startups, including wind, solar, biomass and wave energy technology. As a Congressional representative, I will work to provide tax and
other incentives for green and high technology businesses to locate here. Such industries would not only provide good jobs for our people, but will help us achieve greater energy self-sufficiency.
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Source: 2012 House campaign website, votetulsi.com, "Issues"
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Oct 16, 2012
Invest in clean energy because China & Germany will
Q: Your energy secretary, Steven Chu, states it's not policy of his department to help lower gas prices. Do you agree?OBAMA: We can't just produce traditional source of energy. We've also got to look to the future. That's why we doubled fuel
efficiency standards on cars. That means that in the middle of the next decade, any car you buy, you're going to end up going twice as far on a gallon of gas. That's why we doubled clean energy production like wind and solar and biofuels. Now, Governor
Romney will say he's got an all-of-the-above plan, but he's got the oil and gas part, but he doesn't have the clean energy part. And if we are only thinking about tomorrow or the next day and not thinking about 10 years from now, we're not
going to control our own economic future. Because China, Germany, they're making these investments. And I'm not going to cede those jobs of the future to those countries. That's going to make sure that you're not paying as much for gas.
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Source: Second Obama-Romney 2012 debate
Elizabeth Warren on Energy & Oil
: Sep 25, 2012
Transition to green energy now for long-term growth
Will we continue to subsidize the dirty fossil fuels of the past, or will we transition to 21st century clean, renewable energy? We know that we can generate power with alternative energy sources like wind, solar, and hydropower.
We know that we can make energy usage more efficient. If we commit ourselves to clean energy and energy efficiency now, in the long run we can reduce price swings and costs. (from Elizabeth Warren's Issues Section on Energy & The Environment)
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Source: GreenLifestyleChanges.com on 2016 Veepstakes
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Sep 6, 2012
Develop 100-year natural gas supply; it's beneath our feet
We're offering a better path, a future where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal; where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks; where construction workers build homes and factories that waste
less energy; where we develop a 100-year supply of natural gas that's right beneath our feet. If you choose this path, we can cut our oil imports in half by 2020 and support more than 600,000 new jobs in natural gas alone.
And yes, my plan will continue to reduce the carbon pollution that is heating our planet because climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke.
They're a threat to our children's future. And in this election, you can do something about it.
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Source: 2012 Democratic National Convention speech
Tom Steyer on Energy & Oil
: Sep 5, 2012
America's dependence on foreign oil is lowest in two decades
Last week in Tampa [at the Republican National Convention], you didn't hear any plans that would create jobs now or a long-term plan for energy security. You also didn't hear very many facts. So here are a few:
America's dependence on foreign oil is the lowest in two decades. Even as we've tightened our belts elsewhere, America has made record investments in clean energy technologies from wind to solar to biofuels.
We're modernizing our electrical grid to harness more renewable power sources. We're doubling fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks.
And domestic production of natural gas is at an all-time high--natural gas, which, if developed safely and responsibly, could help bridge our energy present to our energy future.
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Source: Speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Sep 4, 2012
All-of-the-above approach to reduce foreign dependence
Q: What policies would you support to meet the demand for energy while ensuring an economically and environmentally sustainable future?A: Since taking office, I have supported an all-of-the-above energy approach that will allow us to take control
of our energy future, one where we safely and responsibly develop America's many energy resources--including natural gas, wind, solar, oil, clean coal, and biofuels--while investing in clean energy and increasing fuel efficiency standards to reduce
our dependence on foreign oil. I know the country that harnesses the power of clean, renewable energy will lead the global economy in the 21st century. That's why I have made the largest investment in clean energy and energy efficiency in American
history and proposed an ambitious Clean Energy Standard to generate 80 percent of our electricity from clean energy sources like wind, solar, clean coal, and natural gas by 2035.
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Source: The Top American Science Questions, by sciencedebate.org
Joe Biden on Energy & Oil
: Feb 28, 2012
Unprecedented investment in renewable energy
Obama announced that as part of his clean energy push, "You show us the best ideas to change your game on the ground; we'll show you the money. We will show you the money."The solar company Solyndra was one of those companies that was shown the money
at the beginning of Obama's presidency, as it was a recipient of the stimulus under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At the time, Solyndra was touted as the model to follow by the Administration for its green energy economy.
Joe Biden said that the loan guarantee to Solyndra was an "unprecedented investment this Administration is making in renewable energy and exactly what the Recovery Act is all about."
Now Solyndra has completely collapsed and gone bankrupt; it is
clear that the President's policies of "showing the money" has meant throwing the money away. In the end, Solyndra is more than just a bankrupt company: it is a metaphor for the failure of Obama's war on affordable energy and American fossil fuel jobs.
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Source: The Greatest Hoax, by James Inhofe, p.162-163
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 24, 2012
Don't cede wind, or solar, or battery industry to foreigners
It was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract natural gas out of shale rock--reminding us that Government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.
Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don't always come right away. Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.
I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That's long enough.
It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising.
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Source: 2012 State of the Union speech
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 26, 2011
Subsidize clean energy by canceling oil subsidies
Already, we're seeing the promise of renewable energy. We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields, and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fun
the Apollo projects of our time.With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
We need to get behind this innovation.
And to help pay for it, I'm asking Congress to eliminate the billions in taxpayer dollars we currently give to oil companies. I don't know if you've noticed, but they're doing just fine on their own. So instead of subsidizing yesterday's energy, let's
invest in tomorrow's.
Clean energy breakthroughs will only translate into clean energy jobs if businesses know there will be a market. So tonight, I set a new goal: By 2035, 80% of America's electricity will come from clean energy sources.
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Source: 2011 State of the Union speech
John Hickenlooper on Energy & Oil
: Nov 2, 2010
As exploration geologist: focus on wind, solar, gas, coal
As both a consumer and major producer of energy, Colorado is uniquely situated to develop an energy policy that will become a model for the country. Colorado's strengths are our great natural resources (wind, solar, gas, coal), combined with world class
research institutions, such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and a business friendly environment. John's background as an entrepreneur and exploration geologist
will help to foster the collaboration between our knowledge capital, entrepreneurial spirit and our abundant resource base to solidify our place as a world-class energy center. Our Energy Policy incorporates the State's environmental issues, its economic
development and the cost to all consumers. It recognizes that energy production requires a viable water supply, which must be carefully utilized, and that energy demand must be reduced through conservation and increased efficiency.
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Source: 2010 Gubernatorial campaign site hickenlooperforcolorado.com
Cory Booker on Environment
: Feb 9, 2010
Work with Urban Environmental Institute on solar technology
We are creating job opportunities for Newark residents in the New Green economy. We attracted two new solar companies to our City. Another illustration of our job creation efforts is our City's newly constructed motors garage on Wilson Avenue.
This facility, built using local contractors and local resident labor, contains new solar technology installed by the Urban Environmental Institute, a program employing and training our Newark youth in the growing industry of solar installation.
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Source: 2010 State of the City Address at Newark Symphony Hall
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 27, 2010
More incentives for clean energy, including nuclear
To create more clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives. And that means building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country. It means making tough decisions about opening new offshore areas
for oil and gas development. It means continued investment in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies. And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill with incentives that will finally make clean energy profitable.
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Source: 2010 State of the Union Address
Barack Obama on Education
: Feb 24, 2009
$2,500 tax credit for all four years of college
Over the next two years, my economic plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector--jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges; constructing wind turbines and solar panels; laying broadband
and expanding mass transit. Because of this plan, there are teachers who can now keep their jobs and educate our kids. Health care professionals can continue caring for our sick.
Because of this plan, 95 percent of working households in
America will receive a tax cut--a tax cut that you will see in your paychecks beginning on April 1st.
Because of this plan, families who are struggling to pay tuition costs will receive a $2,500 tax credit for all four years of college.
And Americans who have lost their jobs in this recession will be able to receive extended unemployment benefits and continued health care coverage to help them weather this storm.
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Source: 2009 State of the Union address
Barack Obama on Jobs
: Feb 24, 2009
FactCheck: Economic plan may create only 2.2M jobs, not 3.5M
Obama continued his recent habit of asserting projections as fact. Obama said, "This plan will save or create 3.5 million jobs. More than 90 percent of these jobs will be in the private sector, jobs rebuilding our roads and bridges, constructing wind
turbines and solar panels, laying broadband and expanding mass transit."But Obama's numbers are not certain. The estimate of 3.5 million jobs is backed up by projections from different economists, but others downgraded his job estimate to
2.2 million once the stimulus legislation was finalized. It's worth noting that even Nobel-winning economists disagree sharply about macroeconomic projections.
That's because macroeconomics is still a relatively new discipline. There is limited data, and even less agreement about what the available data actually mean.
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Source: FactCheck.org on 2009 State of the Union address
Joe Biden on Energy & Oil
: Oct 2, 2008
Obama believes in investing in alternative energy
BIDEN: We have 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves. We consume 25% of the oil. John has voted 20 times in the last decade-and-a-half against funding alternative energy sources, clean energy sources, wind, solar, biofuels. Obama believes by
investing in clean coal and safe nuclear, we can not only create jobs in wind and solar here, we can export it.PALIN: I was the first governor to form a climate change sub-cabinet to start dealing with the impacts. We’ve got to reduce emissions. John
McCain is right there with an “all of the above” approach to deal with climate change impacts. As we rely more on other countries that don’t care as much about the climate as we do, we’re allowing them to produce and to emit and even pollute more than
America would ever stand for. It’s all the more reason that we have an “all of the above” approach, tapping into alternative sources of energy and conserving fuel, conserving our petroleum products and our hydrocarbons so that we can clean up this planet
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Source: 2008 Vice Presidential debate against Sarah Palin
Joe Biden on Principles & Values
: Aug 27, 2008
We need a wise leader like Obama, not just a good soldier
These times require more than a good soldier. They require a wise leader. A leader who can change, make the change that everybody knows we need. Obama is going to deliver that change. He will reform our tax code. He will cut taxes for 95% of the American
people who draw a pay check. Obama will transform our economy by making alternative energy a national priority and in the process creating 5 million new jobs and finally freeing us from the grip of foreign oil. Obama knows that any country that out
teaches us today, will out compete us tomorrow. That’s why he’ll invest in the next generation of teachers and why he’ll make college more affordable. That’s the change we need. Obama will bring down health care cost by $2,500 for the average family and
at long last deliver affordable, accessible health care for every American. That’s the change we need. Barack will put more cops on the street, put security back in social security and he’ll never ever give up until we achieve equal pay for women.
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Source: Speech at 2008 Democratic National Convention
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jul 1, 2008
Include clean coal in clean energy future
Obama's plan to invest in a clean energy future and in renewable and alternative energies states that he will:- Invest $150 billion over ten years in clean energy: Obama will advance the next generation of biofuels & fuel infrastructure, accelerate
the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emission coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid.
- Invest in a skilled clean technologies workforce: Obama
will use proceeds from the cap and trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production.
- Develop and deploy clean coal: Commercialize and deploy
low-carbon coal technologies.
- Deploy cellulosic ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes, & government contracts into developing the first 2 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.
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Source: Obamanomics, by John R. Talbott, p.132-133
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: May 4, 2008
Figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal
Q: In terms of global warming, you’ve talked about wind and solar and biofuels. What about nuclear? A: I think we do have to look at nuclear, and what we’ve got to figure out is can we store the material properly? Can we make sure that they’re secure?
Can we deal with the expense? My attitude when it comes to energy is there’s no silver bullet. We’ve got to look at every possible option. You know, I’ve said the same thing about coal. I have a aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions, and coal is a
dirty fuel right now. But if we can figure out how to sequester carbon and burn clean coal, we’re the Saudi Arabia of coal, and I don’t think that we can dismiss out of hand the use of coal as part of our energy mix. What we are going to have to
understand, though, is that global warming is real, it is serious and that whatever options we come up with, if they are not addressing the fact that the planet is getting warmer, then we are failing not just this generation, but future generations.
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Source: Meet the Press: 2008 “Meet the Candidates” series
Barack Obama on Environment
: May 4, 2008
Willing to suspend ethanol subsidy to keep food prices down
Q: Ethanol usage in gas is criticized for raising food prices. Would you be willing to change ethanol subsidies so that people are not using corn for ethanol, & lowering food prices?A: We’ve got rising food prices here in the US. In other countries
we’re seeing riots because of the lack of food supplies. So this is something that we’re going to have to deal with. There are a number of factors that go into this. Changes in climate are contributing. There’s no doubt that biofuels may be contributing
to it. My top priority is making sure that people are able to get enough to eat. And if it turns out that we’ve got to make changes in our ethanol policy to help people get something to eat, then that’s got to be the step we take. But I also believe
that ethanol has been a important transitional tool for us to start dealing with our long-term energy crisis ultimately. Over time we’re going to shift to cellulosic ethanol, where we’re not using food stocks but we’re using wood chips & prairie grass.
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: Meet the Press: 2008 “Meet the Candidates” series
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jul 23, 2007
Explore nuclear power as part of alternative energy mix
Q: What about nuclear power as an alternative energy source?A: I actually think that we should explore nuclear power as part of the energy mix. There are no silver bullets to this issue. We have to develop solar.
I have proposed drastically increasing fuel efficiency standards on cars, an aggressive cap on the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted. But we’re going to have to try a series of different approaches.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil
: Jul 23, 2007
Agnostic about nuclear power until waste & cost issue solved
Q: What about nuclear power as an alternative energy source?A: I’m agnostic about nuclear power. Until we figure out what we’re going to do with the waste and the cost, it’s very hard to see nuclear as a part of our future.
But that’s where American technology comes in. Let’s figure out what we’re going to do about the waste and the cost if we think nuclear should be a part of the solution.
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Source: 2007 YouTube Democratic Primary debate, Charleston SC
Hillary Clinton on Energy & Oil
: Jun 8, 2007
Energy Independence 2020: $50B for Strategic Energy Fund
In Dec. 2005, Hillary hooked up with an alliance of environmentalists and unions to help unveil a new Democratic plan, “Energy Independence 2020.”[In a speech introducing the plan,] after praising solar power and wind technology,
Hillary turned her attention to her villains--the oil companies--and discussed the legislation she hoped to pass that would force them to change their ways. Unless they diversified away from fossil fuels and into preferred, renewable technologies,
her bill would require that they be assessed heavy windfall-profits taxes. This new revenue source, estimated at $50 billion, would finance a government energy fund that invested in innovative energy research.
Hillary introduced her promised
legislation to create a federal “Strategic Energy Fund” financed by oil company taxes. But her energy bill, while music to the ears of the Left, overreached her colleagues. Hillary could not find another senator to cosponsor her bill.
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Source: Her Way, by Jeff Gerth & Don Van Natta, p.279-283
Bob Corker on Energy & Oil
: Oct 10, 2006
Strongly support biofuel; campaign chair is biodiesel seller
Q: Are you for drilling in Alaska?FORD: We need energy independence. We can’t win a war on terror if you pay for both sides of the war at the same time. That’s what we’re doing. We have the capacity & ingenuity to grow our way out of these challenges.
I have a lot of confidence in farmers to grow our way out of it, & in laboratories to use nuclear energy & coal in new ways. Our oil dependence is environmentally hazardous; it’s a drag on the economy; and it keeps young men facing the prospect of going
overseas to defend an untenable appetite for oil. I know we can break our habit and find new ways to fuel our cars & power our homes. My campaign chairman is a farmer. His campaign chairman runs a big ol’ oil company.
Q: Do you support drilling in
Alaska?
FORD: I do.
CORKER: I strongly support biofuel. My campaign chairman runs a retail operation, the largest seller of ethanol and biodiesel in Tennessee.
FORD: If my campaign chairman were in big oil, I’d be trying to explain it away too.
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Source: 2006 TN Senate debate, at Univ. of Chattanooga, x-ref Ford
Amy Klobuchar on Energy & Oil
: Jan 18, 2006
Invest in homegrown, renewable energy sources
I will fight to expand incentives for investment in homegrown, renewable energy sources and technology. While the recently passed energy bill includes a number of provisions that will help promote homegrown Minnesota energy,
I believe we need to do more. Here in Minnesota, we have the ability to produce a wide variety of homegrown energy, including ethanol, biodiesel, wind, solar and biomass. This will be a huge source of jobs in Minnesota for decades to come.
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Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, www.amyklobuchar.com, “Issues”
Barack Obama on Energy & Oil
: Jan 6, 2006
Cap-and-trade is more specific on reducing greenhouse gases
I proposed a cap-and-trade system, because you can be very specific in terms of how to reduce the greenhouse gases by a particular level. What you have to do is you have to combine it with a 100% auction. Every little bit of pollution sent up into the
atmosphere, that polluter is getting charged for it. Not only does that ensure that they don’t game the system, but you’re also generating billions of dollars that can be invested in solar & wind & biodiesel. On a carbon tax, the cost will be passed on
to consumers. Under a cap-and-trade, plants are going to have to retrofit their equipment. That’s going to cost money, and they will pass it onto consumers. We have an obligation to use some of the money that we generate to shield low-income and
fixed-income individuals from higher electricity prices. We’re also going to have to ask the American people to change how they use energy. Everybody is going to have to change their light bulbs and insulate their homes. It’s a sacrifice that we can meet
Click for Barack Obama on other issues.
Source: 2008 Facebook/WMUR-NH Democratic primary debate
Page last updated: Jul 17, 2019