Clinton’s Plan To Turn Out The Lights
Hillary Clinton has darted to the extreme left on energy, backing an environmental agenda that would hurt our economy.
Clinton has embraced an unaffordable national energy tax, supports keeping energy “in the ground,” and vows to put coal miners and coal mines “out of business.” It is of no surprise that Clinton is backed by supporters of the extreme “keep it in the ground” anti-fossil fuel movement that members of the Obama administration have called “unrealistic.”
Clinton has “embraced” a national energy tax.
“But all those pledges by the party platform committee and the nominee are mainly expressions of distant hope (or merely cosmetic, depending on your level of cynicism). And some of them don’t really constitute shifts leftward on Clinton’s part: She previously embraced a price on carbon and a public health insurance option in her 2008 campaign.”
Clinton’s 2008 energy plan called for “creating a market-based cap and trade program.”
“Creating a Market-Based Cap and Trade Program, and Auctioning 100% of Greenhouse Gas Permits — Hillary will establish a market-based ‘cap and trade’ system to provide an overall framework for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system would auction 100% of allowances to ensure that utilities and other companies do not obtain a windfall.”
In October 2015, Clinton said “we need to keep more fossil fuels under the ocean and in the ground”:
CLINTON: “We have to move away from fossil fuels including gas, but that gas can be a useful bridge, especially as we move away from coal, and we move away from dirtier oil and some of the really bad alternatives. And we want to keep more fossil fuels under the ocean and in the ground. That’s why I’m against arctic drilling and why I’m against offshore drilling because I don’t think we should start that.” (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At Town Hall, Keene, NH, 10/16/15)
Clinton said Arctic drilling is not “a necessary part of her clean energy climate change agenda”:
CLINTON: “I have doubts about whether we should continue drilling in the Arctic. And I don’t think it is a necessary part of our overall clean energy climate change agenda.”
Clinton vowed to “put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business”:
“So for example, I’m the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, right?”
Clinton was endorsed by avowed Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Sanders backs the “keep it in the ground” movement and cosponsored the “keep it in the ground act” banning the extraction of coal and fossil fuels.
“Bernie Sanders is backing legislation that would ban new leases to mine or drill on public land, urging other presidential candidates to join him. The Vermont senator and Democratic presidential nomination contender co-sponsored the ‘Keep it in the Ground Act’ which would end new mining and drilling leases on public land in the West, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans.”
In November 2015, the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCVAF) endorsed Clinton for president. The LCV also supports keeping fossil fuels in the ground.
“Win battles to keep dirty fuels in the ground. Building on our success stopping the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, we will work with our allies to promote policies that keep dirty fuels in the ground and prevent new extraction of fossil fuels on public lands. This will include seeking to limit offshore drilling, reform coal leasing, and push for permanent protections for the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.” (“Plan Of Action 2016,” League Of Conservation Voters, Accessed 3/24/16)