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Policy Memo: Kerry's Energy Plan
George W. Bush ^ | August 7, 2004

Posted on 08/08/2004 6:07:49 PM PDT by RWR8189

MEMORANDUM
FROM: BC'04 POLICY DEPARTMENT

Introduction
John Kerry's record on energy is one of advocating policies that would raise energy prices across the board for working families and businesses, weaken the economy, lower disposable incomes, and cause massive job losses in key industries, as well as making America more dependent on foreign sources of energy.  His current efforts to fund renewable energy and conservation follow in large part exactly what President Bush is already doing, and echoes the President's energy plan that Kerry worked to block.

ENERGY BILL
The comprehensive, bipartisan energy bill died in the Senate after receiving 58 votes, 2 short of the 60 needed to clear a procedural hurdle.  The bill passed the House with the support of 46 Democrats.  Both Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards missed the vote, and both said they would have opposed the bill.  Here's what they oppose:

RENEWABLES
As part of his plan to create "energy independence," John Kerry would mandate that 20 percent of U.S. electricity come from renewable sources by 2020.  Yet John Kerry won't endorse a major wind energy project on Nantucket Sound.

"A key priority," according to Kerry, "will be ensuring that the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind and biomass is applicable to the full array of renewable technologies, since the unpredictability of frequent short term extensions of the PTC has greatly hindered investment and expansion of the industry in the United States."  (A Plan To Explore And Develop New Energy Sources, Kerry-Edwards Website, http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/energy/sources.html, Accessed 8/6/04)

Moreover, here are some of the renewable provisions (in addition to the 5 billion gallon ethanol standard) Kerry refused to support in the comprehensive energy bill:

COAL
As the National Coal Council observed, the "continued use of coal supports the goal of reducing our nation's dependence on imported energy."  Coal-based electricity is "strategically critical to the U.S., providing economic stability and security to our citizens."   The U.S. currently has over one-quarter of the world's recoverable coal, more than Russia and over twice that of China.

John Kerry says he wants to ensure that coal is used "more efficiently and cleanly" and "fully integrated into the New Energy Economy."  But Kerry's record is decidedly anti-coal, and if legislation he supports became law, coal use would decline dramatically and nearly eliminate one of America's most critical energy resources. 

John Kerry's professed support for clean coal technologies rings hollow, especially considering he opposes President Bush's New Source Review reforms, which would encourage installation of those technologies.

Kerry also opposed the energy bill that included several provisions promoting development of clean coal technologies.

NATURAL GAS
As a result of Kerry's anti-coal policies, coal will play a minimal role at best in America's energy future, and natural gas will have to make up the difference.  Notably, Kerry's command-and-control mandates will increase demand for natural gas beyond increases already projected by independent analysts (50 percent over the next two decades, according to EIA), placing severe strains on domestic gas supplies.  And because John Kerry has no meaningful plan to expand domestic natural gas supplies, he would force the U.S. to import more natural gas from foreign sources. 

Kerry supports construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, which was in the energy bill he opposed.  Also, he supports developing existing leases in the central and western Gulf.  But developing those areas won't suffice to meet growing demand.

ANWR
John Kerry boasts that he blocked opening just 2,000 acres of ANWR's coastal plain to energy development.  Here's what he denied America:

REFINERIES
No new refinery has been built in the United States since 1976 and prospects for building new refineries are bleak at best.  According to John Kilduff, senior vice president of Energy Risk Management Group, "Besides the challenging economics, permitting issues appear to be formidable and make it unlikely any new refineries will be built in the United States in the future." (Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Hearing: "What Drives Fuel Prices," 6/15/04)

HYDROGEN
John Kerry will create a new "Hydrogen Institute" to unite scientists and researchers to develop a New Energy Economy by 2020.  But Kerry's plans on hydrogen simply ape what President Bush is already doing.

Again, Kerry opposed the energy bill that included hydrogen measures he professes to support:

NUCLEAR POWER
Nuclear power currently fuels 20 percent of the nation's electricity.  It provides an essential, emissions-free source of energy, and will play an important role in meeting America's future energy needs.

FUEL EFFICIENCY
John Kerry proposes $10 billion over ten years to the domestic auto industry to retool production plants to build the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicles.  Yet the industry is already building hybrid vehicles, which are garnering considerable consumer interest.

John Kerry proposed offering up to a $5,000 tax credit to buy hybrid vehicles.  Once again, he's a step behind.

Kerry has backed away from his CAFE plan, which would raise fuel economy standards to 36 mpg by 2015.  In fact, Kerry has removed that specific target from his website, probably because it was roundly opposed by auto manufacturers and the United Auto Workers.



TOPICS: Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bc04; bush43; energy; energyplan; gwb2004; kerry; memo; policymemo

1 posted on 08/08/2004 6:07:50 PM PDT by RWR8189
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To: RWR8189
kerry is a rich (not by his own works) icehole. Only a rich icehole would propose stupid acts like he does. So far removed from the reality of "the common man" that he believes his own rich bullshit.

FMCDH(BITS)

2 posted on 08/08/2004 6:24:44 PM PDT by nothingnew (KERRY: "If at first you don't deceive, lie, lie again!")
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To: RWR8189


John Kerrys idea
for alternative energy
3 posted on 08/08/2004 6:31:59 PM PDT by John Lenin (I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty)
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