Talking with Tancredo

Rep. Tancredo held a meet and greet after the GOP convention on Saturday, January 27th, attended by about 30 enthusiastic supporters. Questions were taken afterwards, from anyone who wanted to speak to him themselves. The energy question was asked immediately by someone in the small group, so I just listened in. He gave a long response, calling energy the “other most important domestic policy issue.” He raised a few different issues:

• He is concerned that most of our oil and gas comes from unfriendly countries, which means our economy is dependent on other countries’ perceptions of the United States, so we make policies that are not good for the US just to satisfy the need for oil. He stressed the need to explore and develop our own resources offshore and within the Continental US. He said this is not enough, but it is a significant amount, of oil.
  
• He believes we can also continue to develop alternatives, particularly nuclear which is a safe and clean energy source if we can figure out the uncertainty of where to store the rods. He pointed out, however, that it does take 80 months from application to construction of a nuclear power plant, so it is not an immediate resource. He also mentioned ethanol and coal gasification, the latter in conjunction with nuclear energy to provide an efficient means of extracting coal shale.
  
• He stressed that we will get far more out of a free enterprise system that rewards new technology rather than taxing it. In terms of “big oil” he said “most people are mad at them, so am I, I’m not a wealthy person,” but the best way to handle them is not to put taxes on development. Perhaps we should put taxes on imported oil, he suggested.

Vilsack's Visit

Last week, I also had the opportunity to see Governor Vilsack and his lovely wife, Christie, in person as they made the rounds of New Hampshire. Speaking to a group of Middle School students, both the Governor and his wife were warm and approachable. I was as impressed with his ability to speak clearly and intelligently to these students as I was by the level of their questions. They covered many of the same topics an adult audience would have, and at one point asked him what he “could do better than President Bush.” He faltered a bit, I think surprised at the frankness of the question, and covered several topics in his response. His discussion of energy policy is what I was most interested in however.

“With global warming,” he began, “it’s really, really important to have an aggressive, large effort on climate change.” One of the few executives in the race for president, he related some of his talking points to progress they have made in Iowa. Iowa produces a lot of renewable fuel, primarily ethanol, and he stressed the importance to expanding those efforts all over America. His view on energy policy is inclusive, and a way forward for him stresses the environment, the economy and security. As part of a national energy plan, he would ask America to use less energy in their homes, buildings, and cars, and push companies and industry to use and develop new technology. Second, he believes we can use traditional power better by using less carbon producing energy and paying a cost associated with carbon production. He returned to ethanol, describing its virtues, among them: “you don’t have to buy it from foreign countries so it’s better for the environment and security.”

Tom and Christie Vilsack don’t just talk the talk- they own a hybrid car and received the purchase of enough carbon credits to offset their travels on the campaign trail as a Christmas gift from their son.

Dodd Outlines Energy Policy

I had the opportunity to meet Sen. Dodd last weekend in a small gathering at the lovely Lazy Lion Café in Deerfield. The former Peace Corp volunteer in the Dominican Republic spoke from professional and personal experience, noting his 30 years in the House and Senate and the birth of his two daughters, 5 and 22 months, that inspire him to create a better future for America. The crowd received him warmly, interrupting him for applause several times and appreciating the opportunity to ask him several questions.

While local press reported on some of his larger events in New Hampshire over the weekend, the intimacy of this gathering allowed us to get better insight into some of his opinions. Fosters Daily Democrat reported January 21st that at an event in Dover, the Connecticut Senator noted as president, he “would support a ‘relatively aggressive program’ on alternative energy sources, in conjunction with conservation efforts and exploration of other fuel sources.”

Dodd delved into what “relatively aggressive” meant later that day in Deerfield. First he mentioned how “outrageous” it is that the United States turned its back on the Kyoto Protocol. He would like to see us at least return to the table for negotiations. He went on to say that cornerstones of his national energy plan would be conservation and alternative energy supplies, with the goal of reducing consumption by 4 millions barrels per day. In this way, he believes, the United States can be entirely independent of Middle East fuel supply within 10 years. Entirely dependent in 10 years.

It would seem that if with a bit of investment in alternatives and a renewed focus on consumption we could totally eliminate our dependency on foreign oil, more politicians would be talking about it.

Welcome!

Welcome to the blog inspired by ItsYourNH.com and dedicated to promoting a sound energy policy. As one of ItsYourNH.com's top federal issues, and a top issue for the nation, we want to make sure that energy issues take center stage in the presidential primaries. We will be speaking with all the candidates and reporting their thoughts on energy here, as well as keeping you updated on current events. We hope you will check back often to learn more about this important issue.