Joe Manchin III on Energy & Oil Democratic Jr Senator; previously Governor

No one is going to stop using fossil fuels for a long time

Joe Manchin (D): Yes. "I believe climate change is real, & that the more than 7 billion people living on this Earth have contributed to its warming,"

Patrick Morrisey (R): No. "There are many factors involved in the evolution of the earth's temperature."

Q: Limit or tax production of greenhouse gases? Support renewable energy?

Joe Manchin (D): No to regulating greenhouse gases: "No one is going to stop using fossil [fuels] for a long time." But required WV utilities to get 25% of energy from renewable sources by 2025.

Patrick Morrisey (R): No to regulating greenhouse gases. Led states suing to overturn Obama Clean Power Plan. Opposed renewable energy mandate in ad against a primary opponent.

I fought for coal in past & will fight for coal in future

Manchin disagreed and said he has fought for coal in the past and will continue to fight for coal in the future.

EPA regulatory practices unfairly hurt Appalachian coal

Manchin says all energy resources in the country should be developed, to stop dependence on foreign oil. He says regulatory practices from the Environmental Protection Agency are unfairly hurting Appalachian coal mining. But he says a balance must be drawn to protect both industry and environmental interests. "There's a balance to be had, the economy and the environment has to work together," Manchin said.

2010 ad: Shot a hole in the cap and trade bill

Obama's greenhouse gas plan won't solve the problem

Manchin also was highly critical of attempts by the Obama administration to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, saying the path it was taking wasn't going to solve the problem. But technology that could allow the U.S. to continue using coal while minimizing CO2--known as carbon capture and storage--is years, if not decades, away from large-scale use, if it proves practical at all. And scientific organizations such as the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say immediate action needs to be taken if the worst consequences of global warming are to be prevented.

Named coal West Virginia's official state rock

Sen. Byrd became a fairly reliable vote for climate action, but the next senator from the state probably won't carry on that legacy.

No regulation of greenhouse gases by EPA

Stand up for our coal miners and their families

We are reaching new and better ways to use our coal. There is a balance to be had between our economy and our environment and West Virginia is leading the way in finding that balance. The world's first successful carbon capture and sequestration project is at AEP's Mountaineer Power Plant. And plans are moving ahead on a coal-to-liquids project that will use state-of-the-art cleaner coal technology. Through this technology, West Virginia coal will be our primary energy source as we make the transition to the fuels of the future.

Fund cellulosic biofuel research in Farm Bill

Local production of renewable biomass energy benefits the national economy, promotes national and regional energy security and stimulates the rural economy through the creation of high quality jobs. Encouraging such production will require increased federal investment in programs that support cellulosic biofuels research, increased biodiesel production and use, increases in wind and solar energy and energy from animal wastes, improvements in energy efficiency, bio-based product development, effective carbon storage, and other renewable technologies.

Promote polygen--clean diesel from coal plants

As history has shown us, the federal government is not going to be the leader in developing a sound national energy policy that makes sense for America. To protect our consumers and preserve our national defense, it is up to the leaders in all 50 states to develop individual energy policies that could be the basis for formulating a national policy, drawing on the best of each state. West Virginia has a significant role to play in the national urgency for energy independence.

Stop harmful EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

We feel compelled to guard against a regulatory approach that would increase the cost of electricity and gasoline prices, manufactured products, and ultimately harm the competitiveness of the US economy. As governors, we strongly urge Congress to stop harmful EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions that could damage those vital interests. We ask that Congress continue its work to pass comprehensive legislation that balances the role of conservation and climate security with the production of abundant and affordable American energy. The EPA has initiated efforts to impose greenhouse gas regulations that could be harmful to our economies at an especially critical time. As Governors, we are gravely concerned about such regulation.

EPA is not equipped to consider the very real potential for economic harm when regulating emissions. Without that consideration, regulation will place heavy administrative burdens on state environmental quality agencies, will be costly to consumers, and could be devastating to the economy and jobs.

We believe that EPA should offer input regarding complex energy and environmental policy initiatives, like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but feel that these policies are best developed by elected representatives at the state and national level, not by a single federal agency. There is no question that broad bipartisan support exists to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while taking into consideration the difficult fiscal situation that our states and the nation face.