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Topics in the News: Energy Independence


Kamala Harris on Energy & Oil : Sep 4, 2019
Shouldn't sell/lease public land for drilling

Q: How do you plan to support already at-risk and marginalized people who are experiencing the impact of climate change now?

HARRIS: Ultimately, it's about empowering communities that are often ignored. All of those communities have been disproportionately impacted by the change that we are seeing in our climate, not to mention the kind of behaviors by the fossil fuel industry that have been about pollution, about dumping and all that. It should be our responsibility to make sure that we leverage the incredible power we have in a way that is about empowering the communities that have been long overlooked and ignored.

Q: What about public lands?

HARRIS: We should not be selling or leasing public land for the purposes of drilling. One of my greatest priorities on this subject will be about preservation of public lands.

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.   Source: Climate Crisis Town Hall (CNN 2019 Democratic primary)

Joe Biden on Energy & Oil : Sep 4, 2019
Limit fracking at state level, but disallow new drilling

Q: Pennsylvania contains the U.S.'s biggest natural gas field. Pennsylvania's Democratic governor is all in for fracked gas. As president, what can you do?

BIDEN: I think the way we deal with state lands is we have less latitude, what we say we can and cannot do. I've argued against any more oil drilling or gas drilling on federal lands. I think we should be looking at what exists now [on state lands] and making a judgement whether or not those wells are dangerous, and what we can do from there by trying to change the attitude of the governors and the state legislatures. I don't think we could pass national legislation, to say all fracking that's going on now ends, unless you can show there's some physical security need or worried about explosions, or physical safety from earthquakes. But I would not allow any more.

Q: So to be clear, you would not call for a ban statewide on fracking or nationwide? You said stop new oil and gas drilling on federal lands? BIDEN: Yes.

Click for Joe Biden on other issues.   Source: CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall marathon (10 Democrats)

Kamala Harris on Environment : Sep 4, 2019
Ban fracking & offshore drilling

Q: The toxic impacts of fracking are immense--will you commit to implementing a federal ban on fracking?

HARRIS: There's no question I'm in favor of banning fracking, so yes. This is something I've taken on in California. I have a history of working on this issue. We have to acknowledge that the residual impact of fracking is enormous in terms of the impact on the health and safety of communities.

Q: Would you also ban offshore drilling?

HARRIS: Yes, and I've again, worked on that. You can talk to the folks in Santa Barbara about the work that I've done there where it's a big problem--but it's a big problem in many areas of our country--and yes, I would. Yes.

Click for Kamala Harris on other issues.   Source: CNN Climate Crisis Town Hall marathon (10 Democrats)

Joe Sestak on Energy & Oil : Jul 9, 2019
Rejoin Paris Accord, ban offshore drilling

As president, Sestak will rejoin the Paris Accord, stop subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, fine carbon polluters with proceeds going to research renewable energy sources and strategies, ban offshore drilling, and give the EPA "full authority to regulate substances (like HFCs) that contribute to global warming."
Click for Joe Sestak on other issues.   Source: Townhall.com on 2020 Democratic primary

Elizabeth Warren on Energy & Oil : May 8, 2019
Renewable energy on public land or offshore; end drilling

Proposed a plan to require 10% of electricity generation to come from renewable sources located offshore or on public lands and that would unlock 50% of currently inaccessible federally owned land for public use. The proposal also includes an executive order that would end drilling offshore and on public lands.
Click for Elizabeth Warren on other issues.   Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"

Beto O`Rourke on Energy & Oil : Apr 29, 2019
Net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but allow drilling

He proposed an aggressive, detailed $5 trillion plan to address climate change, calling it the "greatest threat we face." It aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. O'Rourke has opposed legislation that would prevent drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Click for Beto O`Rourke on other issues.   Source: Axios.com "What you need to know about 2020"

Seth Moulton on Energy & Oil : Apr 23, 2019
Member of the Climate Solutions Caucus in Congress

"Climate change is real," he says on his congressional website. He is a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus. He hopes the U.S. can one day move toward energy independence. He supported President Obama's Clean Climate Agenda and opposes President Trump's executive order on the environment, which he says shows "a complete disregard for facts and science."
Click for Seth Moulton on other issues.   Source: CNN Town Hall with 2020 presidential hopefuls

John Kasich on Energy & Oil : Dec 27, 2017
Balance low-cost & environment by pursuing all sources

Low-cost, reliable energy is the backbone of America's economy. Too often we have seen America's energy policies swing wildly between cheap generation and environmental protection. Energy policies that only focus on low costs keep us from seeking technological breakthroughs that can improve efficiency and sustainability. An exclusive focus on unnecessary environmental regulation drives up energy costs and keeps energy independence out of reach. America needs balance.

John Kasich believes that Americans need an energy policy that encourages more energy production from a broad base of sources. At the same time we need environmental regulations that strike the right balance between needed protection and the need for jobs.

Keep Energy Affordable And Reliable by Pursuing All Sources of Energy: Diversifying our energy supply is the best strategy for economic growth. Government policies that encourage or discourage energy from any single source are economically counterproductive.

Click for John Kasich on other issues.   Source: 2018 Ohio gubernatorial campaign website JohnKasich.com

John Kasich on Energy & Oil : Dec 27, 2017
Supports Keystone XL, clean coal; and "smart grid"