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Chris Christie on Energy & Oil

 

 


Keystone pipeline would have minimal environmental impact

Q: President Obama rejected the Keystone pipeline on Friday, after seven years of study. He says it would undercut our global leadership on fighting climate change.

CHRISTIE: Interesting, the president is interested in global leadership, and the only thing he's interested in global leadership on is a radical environmental liberal policy, which is what he's doing. Did anybody think for the last seven years he was ever going to approve it? Despite the fact that the State Department said it won't have a big environmental impact, and so does the EPA administrator. This president is a radical environmental liberal. And when I'm president, we'll build the Keystone pipeline if the Canadians are still interested.

Source: Fox News Sunday 2015 Coverage of 2016 presidential hopefuls , Nov 8, 2015

FactCheck: Yes, New Jersey is a solar powerhouse

Chris Christie said, "You could win a bet if you ask who the top three states in America are that produce solar energy, CA and AZ are easy. Number three is NJ." Christie's right to point out that NJ is indeed a surprising solar powerhouse. But his claim to being the No. 3 producer might lead some other governors to take that bet.

According to the latest August 2015 data from the Energy Information Agency, New Jersey is actually No. 5 in net solar generation, behind CA, AZ, NC and NV.

So where does the No. 3 come from? New Jersey does indeed hold claim to the No. 3 slot from the Solar Energy Industries Association through the second quarter of 2015 for cumulative solar capacity installed, though that's not the same thing as electricity generated. (And greens like the League of Conservation Voters were quick to note that some of the energy policies Christie has opposed--including joining a regional greenhouse gas trading program--would likely have the state doing even better.)

Source: Politico.com FactCheck on GOP 2015 CNBC debate , Oct 28, 2015

New Jersey used private market to create solar industry

You could win a bet at a bar tonight, if you ask who the top three states in America are that produce solar energy: California and Arizona are easy, but number three is New Jersey. Why? Because we work with the private sector to make solar energy affordable and available to businesses and individuals in our state. We need to make sure that we do everything across all kinds of energy: natural gas, oil, absolutely.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate , Oct 28, 2015

Get nuclear power plants back on the table

Look at what we have done in New Jersey. We have already reached our clean air goals for 2020. And when I was governor, I pulled out of the regional cap and trade deal, the only state in the Northeast that did that. And we still reached our goals.

Why? Because 53% of our electricity comes from nuclear. We use natural gas. We use solar power. We're the 3rd-highest-using solar power state. You know why? Because we made all of those things economically feasible.

We shouldn't be destroying our economy in order to chase some wild left-wing idea that somehow us by ourselves is going to fix the climate. We can contribute to that and be economically sound.

We have proven we can do that in New Jersey. Nuclear needs to be back on the table in a significant way in this country if we want to go after this problem.

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN , Sep 16, 2015

Anthropogenic climate change is real; but build Keystone XL

Climate Change: Climate change is real and at least partially man-made. Approve the Keystone Pipeline. Skeptical of cap and trade.

In May, Christie told a crowd in Keene, New Hampshire, that he believes climate change is real and caused at least in part by human activity. Previously, at a November 2010 town hall, the governor said he was not convinced about the role of mankind and needed more scientific proof. He opposes cap and trade--in 2011, Christie scrapped a regional cap and trade initiative that would have capped carbon dioxide emissions across 10 states.

On energy policy, Christie would approve the Keystone-XL Pipeline and has three times vetoed legislation geared to limit fracking. He signed a bill to expand renewable energy in New Jersey by bringing wind turbines to the state's coastline. A regulatory panel appointed by Christie has since blocked installation and there is debate over whether the governor still supports the idea.

Source: PBS News Hour "2016 Candidate Stands" series , Jun 30, 2015

Consider windmills off NJ coast

[Christie debated Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan on radio in the GOP primary of 2009]. Christie said he would consider power-generating windmills off the Jersey coast; Lonegan said they were a money-draining experiment.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.138 , Jun 5, 2012

Pulled out of ten-state Regional Greenhouse Gas program

Americans for Prosperity in 2010 circulated a document to politicians asking them not to support climate change legislation. Christie did not sign it. He did, however, pull out of the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program (RGGI). Christie called RGGI a failure that would result in higher energy taxes and render the state uncompetitive with neighbors not in the program such as Pennsylvania. RGGI was an effort by the supporting states to tackle climate change issues by charging companies for polluting emissions but allowing them to buy credits from firms that don't pollute, which would theoretically offer economic incentive to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Critics saw a pattern developing. Christie scaled back renewable energy goals, scaled back rebates for solar panels at residences, vetoed a bill that would have banned fracking, a process of using pressurized fluid to release gas and petroleum for extraction.

Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.240-241 , Jun 5, 2012

The future for New Jersey is in green energy

Gov. Christie said in May: "The future for New Jersey is in green energy and already we've put in place policies to broaden our access to renewable sources of energy, cleaner natural gas generation and ending our reliance on coal generation."

The Christie Administration has a proven record of commitment to secure the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy in our state. The wind power movement is providing New Jersey with a unique opportunity to advance green energy as industry.

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "Renewable Energy" , Jul 26, 2011

Don't tap strategic reserves for political purposes

Q: What about gas prices? Do you think it was the right thing to do to tap the strategic reserves to drive down gas prices?

A: I'm concerned about that. I think the strategic reserves are for strategic purposes and not political purposes.

Q: You thought this was a political move?

A: Well, I think it looks like that. I don't know if it was. But I think it looks like that and that gives me some concern because it hurts the credibility of the program if people feel that's the way it was used.

Source: Interview on NBC "Meet the Press" , Jun 26, 2011

Incentivize energy manufacturing & wind turbines

Source: 2009 Gubernatorial campaign website, christiefornj.com , Nov 3, 2009

Make NJ a magnet for renewable energy manufacturer

Energy as Industry is an opportunity to recover the good-paying, middle-class jobs that have been lost by focusing on production. As the country and the rest of the world makes renewable energy a priority, New Jersey has an opportunity and ability to once again become a leader of industry.Make New Jersey a magnet for renewable energy manufacturers: