Seacoast NRG

The election is now just a year away, and the New Hampshire Primary will be here in January.  Over four months have passed since I last reviewed the Democratic candidates positions on energy and climate change, and it’s time for a refresher.

To find out where the candidates stand on the issues of energy and climate change, I again researched their websites to find each candidate’s statements on energy, the environment, and climate change. 

My quick review of their positions is shown below, presented in alphabetic order by the candidate’s names.  I’ll try to do a similar assessment of the Republican candidates in an upcoming post.

In this review, I have included, where available, the candidate’s voting scores as graded by the League of Conservation Voters. 

Joseph Biden, Senator from Delaware

Biden’s presentation of energy and climate change issues has improved greatly.  Though it’s clear that he places emphasis on his strengths, which are national security and foreign affairs, he now covers all issues much more broadly.  And he has provided much greater depth and detail on his enegy and climate plans.  He includes specifics on raising vehicle fuel economy standards, making alternative fuels more widely available, and in providing incentives or regulations to promote efficiency.  I’m encouraged by his plan for a national renewable energy portfolio standard of 20 percent, although he has no specified date to achieve this target.  On climate change, Biden clearly believes the scientific conclusions that global warming is real and driven by man-made sources.  Biden promotes a cap and trade system to drive US greenhouse gas emissions back down to 1990 levels, but with a very distant target date of 2050.  Biden does, however, make a take a very strong position that the US needs to lead climate change negotiations, and to make them binding among all participants, including China and India.

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  84 out of 100

Climate change and energy excerpts:

The science is clear, and the physical consequences of global warming are obvious in shrinking polar ice caps, retreating glaciers, stronger storms, and changing rainfall patterns. We can expect rising sea levels, spreading diseases, and unpredictable, abrupt climate shifts. Even the richest nations will face huge costs coping with this challenge. The poorest nations will be hit the worst and will have the fewest resources with which to respond. This is a recipe for global resource wars, and even great resentment of our wealth by those less fortunate – a new world disorder. We must act.

There is scientific consensus that our climate is warming and human activity is driving it. Global warming not only has serious consequences for our environment, it poses a serious national security threat. We not only need to act at home to cap greenhouse gas emissions, we also need to work towards a global solution.

There is no question our oil dependence is threatening our national security. It helps fuel the fundamentalism we’re fighting. Our oil dependence limits our options and our influence around the world, because oil rich countries pursuing policies we oppose can stand up to us, while oil dependent allies may be afraid to stand with us. If we don’t change our policy, oil will further empower the countries that produce it, restrict our options, and undermine our economic and physical security. Where we can have the most impact is stopping our demand for oil from increasing as our economy grows. We know where to start: expand alternative fuels and improve vehicle efficiency. We can do this. We can absolutely do this.

Hillary Clinton, Senator from New York

Clinton’s presentation of energy and climate change issues has changed little since my last review.  Clinton makes it clear that she realizes the importance of energy policy and mitigating climate change:  she identifies climate change as being “one of the most pressing moral issues of our time.”  Her work as a Senator, such as her proposal of a plan to create a $50 billion Strategic Energy Fund for research, does lend credence to her statement.  However, her site is still surprisingly thin on details, other than a statement of an “Apollo Project-like program dedicated to achieving energy independence.”  Compared to some of the other candidates, the specifics of her plans are weak.  

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  90 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

America is ready for energy independence. Hillary is ready to lead the charge.

The choices we make about energy touch nearly every aspect of our lives. Our economy, our national security, our health, and the future of our planet are all at stake as we make a choice between energy independence and dependence on foreign sources of oil.

Hillary has championed policies that encourage development of alternative energy technologies and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. She has proposed an Apollo Project-like program dedicated to achieving energy independence.

Hillary recognizes that global climate change is one of the most pressing moral issues of our time. She supports policies to reduce carbon emissions and other pollution that contribute to global warming.

In the White House, Hillary will lead the charge to stop global warming by investing in clean energy technologies, establishing a national market-based program to reduce global warming pollution, increasing our fuel efficiency, and restoring the United States’ rightful place as a leader in international efforts to address the problem of climate change.

Christopher Dodd, Senator from Connecticut

Dodd recognizes the importance of energy policy and climate change.  His 14-point plan is detailed and puts hard numbers into his targets.  His targets are specific, and are fairly aggressive.  He promotes a cap and trade system, with intermediate targets for greenhouse gas reduction in 2020, 2040 and 2050.  Dodd also explicitly states that he would impose a corporate carbon tax (he’s not afraid to use that word) on industry, to raise “over $50 billion annually” to fund research and development of energy technologies.   [I should also note here that in my previous review, I had picked on Dodd for promoting “energy independence”, which I find to be wholly unrealistic.  But every candidate seems to have latched on to that buzzword.  I was unfair of me to single out Dodd.]

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  77 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

[Goals:] Reduce 80 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Dodd Plan will begin to turn back the clock on global climate change, safeguard our environment, and protect American health.

Enhance national security by eliminating our dependence on Middle East oil by 2015. We must end the cycle of fighting terrorists on one hand while financing their supporters on the other.

Strengthen our economy and create jobs. From our university labs to our farms, from manufacturing to our technology entrepreneurs, the Dodd Plan will create jobs across the economic spectrum.

John Edwards, former Senator from North Carolina

Edwards’ has further improved his presentation of his plans for energy and climate change.  He recognizes the importance of energy and climate change policy, and he presents plans that include specifics and targets, such as a cap and trade system, and a renewable energy portfolio to ensure 25% of our energy supply come from renewable sources by the year 2025.  He has clearly invested significant time in drafting these plans, and liberally annotates the details with references.  Further, as noted prominently on his website, the League of Conservation Voters has described Edwards’ plan as the “most comprehensive global warming plan of any presidential candidate to date” (but be aware that the LCV has yet to actually endorse a candidate, and that Edwards’ LCV voting score is the second lowest of the Democratic candidates).  Edwards has also latched on to the idea green-collar jobs as being part of his New Energy Economy plan.

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  59 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

Our generation must be the one that says, ‘we must halt global warming.’ Our generation must be the one that says ‘yes’ to renewable fuels and ends forever our dependence on foreign oil. And our generation must be the one that builds the new energy economy. It won’t be easy, but it is time to ask the American people to be patriotic about something other than war.

Our generation must be the one that ends our nation’s dependence on oil and ushers in a new energy economy. We need energy independence from unstable and hostile areas of the world, from global warming pollution, and from the old ways of doing business. If we harness American ingenuity to reach for transformative change, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming with a new energy economy that stimulates innovation, brings the family farm back to life, and creates more than 1 million jobs in America’s farms and industries. Today, John Edwards called for America to embrace three great goals for this generation:

Halt global warming by capping and reducing greenhouse gas pollution and leading the world to a new global climate change treaty.

Create a new energy economy and 1 million new jobs by investing in clean, renewable energy, sparking innovation, a new era in American industry, and life in family farms.

Meet the demand for new electricity through efficiency for the next decade, instead of producing more power.

Mike Gravel, former Senator from Alaska

Unfortunately, Gravel’s presentation of the issues has changed very little since my last review.  His campaign seems to be one that is largely focused on his personality instead of the issues.  His website is sparse on most issues, and energy and climate change are no exceptions.  He proposes an emissions cap, but little else, and offers few details.  His entire plan is shown below.  His LCV voting score is the lowest of all the Democratic candidates.

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  35 out of 100 

Climate change excerpt:

Senator Gravel believes that global climate change is a matter of national security. As President, he will act swiftly to reduce America’s carbon footprint in the world by passing legislation that caps emissions, and lead the fight against global deforestation, which today is second only to the energy sector as a source of greenhouses gases.

However, any legislation will have little impact on the global environment if we do not work together with other global polluters. Today, China and India are surpassing the U.S. in carbon emissions. Fighting global warming can only be effective if it is a collective global effort. As President, Senator Gravel will see that the U.S. launches and leads a massive global scientific effort to end energy dependence on oil and integrate the world’s scientific community in this task.

Dennis Kucinich, Representative from Ohio

Kucinich has also made good improvements on his website, and provides greater detail now on the issues.  Kucinich presents his energy and climate change plans under the heading of sustainability, and addresses numerous other environmental-related issues as well, including nuclear power and clean water sustainability.  But Kucinich’s plans are still quiet general and weak on details, and I have to admit that I find his presentation of the issues hard to follow.  In my last review, he proposed a renewable energy portfolio of 20% by 2010, but I cannot find that particular proposal on his current website.  One of the more interesting ideas of the campaign is Kucinich’s plan to create a new Works Green Administration (WGA), “which would couple a new WPA program to the EPA and NASA in restoring America’s infrastructure and providing sustainable energy at the same time.”  However, he provides no specifics on this plan. 

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  92 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

While the catastrophic impact of global warming is well documented, the U.S. has yet to rejoin the Kyoto Treaty. A Kucinich administration would immediately put the United States in the forefront of solving the global warming crisis by rejoining the Kyoto accord and implementing its recommendations. On the domestic front, I am an original co-sponsor in the House of Representatives of HR 1950, the Safe Climate Act of 2007. This is an act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the climate introduced by Rep. Henry Waxman of California. As President I will continue to support the goals and targets of this important piece of legislation.

Oil is also an immense sustainability issue. With the peak of U.S. oil production some decades in the past and the world facing inevitable shortages in the near future, a continuation of our present energy policies is a prescription for unending conflicts. No candidate understands the precarious environmental perch man sits on more than Dennis Kucinich who has promised:

As President, I will lead the way in protecting our oceans, rivers and rural environments. I will also lead in fighting for clean, affordable and accessible drinking water. I have worked hand-in-hand with the environmental movement on many battles, from thwarting a nuclear waste dump to boosting organics to demanding labels on genetically-engineered products. A clean environment, a sustainable economy, and an intact ozone layer are not luxuries, but necessities for our planet’s future.

Barack Obama, Senator from Illinois

Obama has made significant improvements to his presentation of energy and climate change plans, and provides many more details now than when I previously reviewed his site.  Like most of the other candidates, Obama recognizes the importance and challenges of energy and climate change.  He presents specifics, such as a cap and trade system, which will be used to fund a $150 billion investment in cleaner energy supplies, and a renewable energy portfolio with an aggressive standard of 25% by 2025.  Obama’s plans are much broader-based now, and I am encouraged by his emphasis on conservation and efficiency. 

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  96 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

Barack Obama believes we have a moral, environmental, economic, and security imperative to address our dependence on foreign oil and tackle climate change in a serious, sustainable manner:

Implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level recommended by top scientists to avoid calamitous impacts.

Invest $150 billion over the next ten years to develop and deploy climate friendly energy supplies, protect our existing manufacturing base and create millions of new jobs.

Dramatically improve energy efficiency to reduce energy intensity of our economy by 50 percent by 2030.

Reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce oil consumption overall by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels of oil, by 2030.

Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico

In my earlier review, I gave Richardson very high marks for having such a detailed presentation of his plans for energy and climate change, and noted that he alone presented anything even close to a position paper on these issues.  Richardson still presents specific policies and hard numbers, such as cutting oil demand by 50% by 2020, adopting hard targets on greenhouse gas emissions, and a renewable energy portfolio of 30% by 2020.  But over the last several months, candidates Biden, Edwards and Obama have made significant improvements to their energy and climate change plans, and they are closing, or have closed, the gap on Richardson in presentation of detail. 

League of Conservation Voters’ score:  82 out of 100 

Climate change and energy excerpts:

Cut Oil Demand: 50% by 2020.  That means reducing oil imports from around 65% to 10-15%. We can do this in part by getting the 100 mile per gallon (mpg) car into the marketplace. We must work to double the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, or CAFE, to 50 mpg by 2020. And we will set a life-cycle low-carbon fuel standard that reduces the carbon impact of our liquid fuels by 30% by 2020.

Create New Efficiencies And Energy Sources in the Electrical Sector: 50% by 2040.  I am calling for a national renewable portfolio standard of 30% by 2020 that will rise to 50% by 2040. This is aggressive, but necessary as we start using more electricity for automobiles. I will push for an energy productivity law requiring a 20% improvement in energy productivity by 2020. We could save customers $21 billion a year by 2020.

Dramatically Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: 90% by 2050 20% by 2020, 80% by 2040 — ten years faster than scientists say is necessary because we must lead the world, and we can’t afford the possibility of backsliding and inaction. We will start with a market-based cap and trade system for greenhouse gas emissions to create incentives for the electric and industrial sectors to make significant reductions in their carbon emissions. Economists say the world can protect itself from drastic climate change at a cost of 1-3% of our economic activity. We can afford to protect the climate. Given the risks of catastrophic climate change, we can’t afford not to do it.

Lead By Example and Restore America as the World’s Leader.  We must return to the international negotiating table and support mandatory world-wide limits on global warming pollution. We will work closely with fast-growing nations.  I will cooperate with the European Union, the World Bank, and other allies to help finance the incremental cost of “doing it right.” I will create a North American Energy Council with Mexico and Canada, which supply about 20% of our oil, and make sure our relations with these neighbors are firm and friendly. As we reduce our demand for foreign oil, we should work with the Persian Gulf nations, and our partners at the UN, to create a multilateral system for protecting the Persian Gulf so that within ten years, the U.S. presence there could be sharply and safely reduced.

Get It All Done Without Breaking the Bank.  We will raise some revenue, from the sales of carbon permits, for example. Further, I will get out the “green scissors” to cut back on wrongly-placed tax subsidies. Over time, this program will yield huge productivity increases in our economy, as well as significant budget savings and revenues. We will create more than ten times as much value in the American economy by reducing our oil imports as we spend to make this program happen.

Invite the Oil Companies to Become Energy Companies.  I know people love to hate the oil companies. They have been raking in huge profits. But I want to invite them to become energy companies, and invest in our thriving new energy economy. They are invited to the table, but they aren’t going to run the table the way they have for the last six years.