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Mitt Romney on Energy & Oil
Former Republican Governor (MA)
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They don’t call it “America warming” but “global warming”
When you put in place a new cap or a mandate, and particularly if you don’t have any safety valve as to how much the cost of that cap might be, you would impose on the American people, if you do it unilaterally, without involving all the world, you’d
impose on the American people a huge new effective tax: 20% on utilities, 50 cents a gallon for gasoline--that’s according to the energy information agency--would be imposed on us. What happens if you do that? You put a big burden on energy in this
country as the energy-intensive industries say, “We’re going to move our new facilities from the US to China, where they don’t have those agreements.” You end up polluting and putting just as much CO2 in the air because the big energy users go there.
That’s why these ideas make sense, but only on a global basis. They don’t call it “America warming.” They call it “global warming.” That’s why you’ve got to have a president that understands the real economy.
Source: 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley
Jan 30, 2008
Opposes McCain-Lieberman bill due to $0.50/gal. gas tax
One of the things I find extraordinary is that Sen. McCain pushes this bill known as McCain-Lieberman. It is effectively a tax on all energy in this country. It would raise gasoline prices by about 50 cents a gallon, and that is according to the
Energy Information Agency. He would raise electric rates by some 20%, put a huge burden on us.
And it basically would slow down our economy without helping the environment at all, because major users of energy would take their production to countries like China that wouldn’t sign the deal.
It is basically saying the cost of global warming would all be borne by American rate-payers and consumers. He just doesn’t understand how the economy works.
Source: CNN Late Edition: 2008 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer
Jan 27, 2008
$20 billion package for energy research & new car technology
Q: You pledged to offer a $20 billion package to help out the auto industry with energy research and new technology. One conservative columnist wrote, “Is that what a Republican should do, bail out a private industry?”
Are you going to offer billions of taxpayer dollars to every industry that’s in trouble in this country?A: We spend about $4 billion a year right now on energy research to try and help us become less energy dependent on foreign sources. And
I think over the coming years we need to increase our investment to become energy independent from about $4 billion a year to about $20 billion a year. Obviously, that has got to grow gradually because there are not a lot of places now that do the kind o
research we need to do to get ourselves energy independent. But that’s not just to bail out the automobile industry. That’s not what I have in mind. I’m not looking for a bailout at all. Instead, it’s saying that where we invest, we tend to do very well.
Source: 2008 Fox News interview: “Choosing the President” series
Jan 20, 2008
Need worldwide global warming solutions; not CAFE or US tax
Q: What about the domestic auto industry?A: Look at Washington. They gave it CAFE standards, which hurt. Some Senators are talking about a new form of tax on energy in this country, which would make it even harder on the domestic companies.
Q: Well, their point is that you have got to do something about global warming. Isn’t that your understanding?
A: Oh, sure. And there’s nothing wrong with dealing with global warming. But there is a big difference between talking about global
warming, which requires global solutions, and the idea of America warming. No one talks about America warming. If we’re going to have solutions that deal, for instance, with a cap in trade program or a BTU tax or anything of that nature, it has to be
global in its sweep. But Sen. McCain’s proposition is that we do this as America only. A unilateral effort would only cause higher costs here, and give the advantage to nations that already have a substantial cost advantage.
Source: CNN Late Edition: 2008 presidential series with Wolf Blitzer
Jan 13, 2008
Invest in new technologies to get us off of foreign oil
help both the environment and the economy and national security. Is global warming an issue for the world? Absolutely. Is it something we can deal with by becoming energy independent and energy secure? We sure can. At the same time, we call it global
warming, not America warming. So let’s not put a burden on us alone and have the rest of the world skate by without having to participate in this effort. It’s a global effort, but our independence is something we can do unilaterally.
Source: 2007 Des Moines Register Republican Debate
Dec 12, 2007
Develop energy technology like nuclear or liquefied coal
Q: We face serious competitive challenges globally unless we become serious with getting prices of energy down. It’s a great opportunity for America to develop technology to lead the world in energy efficiency as well as energy production.
And whether it’s nuclear or liquefied coal, where we sequester the CO2, far more fuel-efficient automobiles. These are some of the incentives that have to be behind our policies with regards to our investments in new technologies like ethanol.
Source: 2007 Republican debate in Dearborn, Michigan
Oct 9, 2007
The time for true energy independence has come
“America must become energy independent. We must finally take the necessary steps to actually produce as much energy as we use. This may take twenty years or more.
True energy independence will requiring energy employing technology to make our use of energy more efficient, in our cars, in our homes, and in our businesses.”“I will initiate a bold and far-reaching research initiative--an
Energy Revolution. It will be our generation’s equivalent of the Manhattan Project or of the mission to reach the Moon.“
”While scientists are still debating how much human activity impacts the environment,
we can all agree that alternative energy sources will be good for the planet. For any and all for these reasons, the time for true energy independence has come.“
Source: The Man, His Values, & His Vision, p.112-113
Aug 31, 2007
Exporting carbon emissions to China hurts US and planet
On Global Warming: “I want to make sure we don’t do something which costs hundreds of billions of dollars in this country and makes us less competitive with China and India.
If carbon-emitting manufacturing moves to other countries, we’ve done nothing for the planet and we’ve hurt ourselves immeasurably.
Source: The Man, His Values, & His Vision, p.113
Aug 31, 2007
No-regrets policy: biofuel, nuclear power, drill ANWR
Q: Is science wrong on global warming? And what, if any, steps would you take as president to address the issue of climate change?GIULIANI: I think we have to accept the view that scientists have that there is global warming and that humans contribute
to that. It’s frustrating and really dangerous for us to see money going to our enemies because we have to buy oil from certain countries. We should be supporting all the alternatives. We need a project similar to putting a man on the moon.
ROMNEY:
Rudy Giuliani is right in terms of an Apollo project to get us energy independent, and the effects of that on global warming are positive. It’s a no-regrets policy. It’s a great idea. [We need,] as a strategic imperative, energy independence for America.
And it takes that Apollo project. It also takes biodiesel, biofuel, cellulosic ethanol, nuclear power, more drilling in ANWR. We have to be serious also about efficiency and that’s going to allow us to become energy independent.
Source: 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College
Jun 3, 2007
Big Oil should reinvest profits in oil refineries
Q: What do you say to the audience who believes that there’s too much of an alliance between the big oil companies and Republicans?A: Big oil is making a lot of money right now, and I’d like to see them using that money to invest in refineries.
Don’t forget that when companies earn profit, that money is supposed to be reinvested in growth. And our refineries are old. Someone said our refineries today are rust with paint holding them up.
And we need to see these companies, if they’re making that kind of money, reinvest in capital equipment. But let’s not forget, where the money is being made throughout these years is not just in the major oil companies, it’s in the countries
that own this oil. Ahmadinejad, Putin, Chavez--these people are getting rich off of people buying too much oil. And that’s why we have to pursue, as a strategic imperative, energy independence for America.
Source: 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College
Jun 3, 2007
Develop alternative energy but also drill in ANWR
To remain the economic and military superpower, America must address achieving energy independence. We must become independent from foreign sources of oil. This will mean a combination of efforts related to conservation and efficiency measures,
developing alternative sources of energy like biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear, and coal gasification, and finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).
Source: PAC website, www.TheCommonwealthPac.com, “Meet Mitt”
Dec 1, 2006
Can’t become energy independent in a decade, but be on track
We’re going to have to deal with this in an honest way with the American people, and that is this is not something that’s going to get solved in 10 years. We can’t become energy independent in 10 years, but we can get ourselves on a track to do that.
It’s going to require a far more substantial investment by our nation in energy technology. Right now, we spend about $4 billion a year on new sources of energy and energy efficiency. We’re going to have to increase that dramatically. And American
corporations, last year they spent more money defending tort lawsuits than they spent on research and development. We’re upside-down. The future of a great nation like ours depends on leading the world in technology & innovation, in energy in particular.
This has to be our highest domestic economic priority, get ourselves on a track to become energy secure & energy independent. It’s within our grasp. But it’s going to take reality rather than just the political rhetoric we’ve seen over the last 25 years.
Source: 2008 Facebook/WMUR-NH Republican primary debate
Jan 5, 2006
Page last updated: Feb 08, 2010