Mike Pence on Energy & Oil Republian nominee for Vice President; Governor of Indiana; former Representative (IN-6)

Climate changing, but don't put undue burden on Americans

Biden's plan is a $2 trillion version of Green New Deal

HARRIS: Joe Biden will not end fracking, he has been very clear about that.

PENCE: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would put us back in the Paris Climate Accord. They'd impose the Green New Deal, which would crush American energy and would crush American jobs. President Trump and I believe the progress we have made in a cleaner environment has been happening because we have a free market economy. What's remarkable is the United States has reduced CO2 more than the countries that are still in the Paris Climate Accord, but we've done it through innovation.

Cap and trade would raise home utility rates more than $3100

[Federal News Service, 4/20/09]: "Now, you've got the EPA essentially saying that carbon dioxide represents a threat to the environment and that's going to set into motion, Democrats on Capitol Hill and this administration, bringing forward a cap and trade bill, which literally could see the utility rates of every American household go up by more than $3,100 per year."

Build Keystone XL; drill ANWR

[Office of Rep. Mike Pence, 1/18/12]: "With unemployment at a heartbreaking 8.5 percent, I am profoundly disappointed that the president has rejected the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. In saying 'no' to the Keystone XL pipeline, the president is saying no to energy independence and to thousands of good-paying new jobs. I urge the president to reconsider his opposition to this job-creating pipeline.'"

Global warming is a myth; treaty is a disaster

[Star Press, 1/7/10]: "On nuclear power: 'I think we ought to build 100 new nuclear plants in the next 20 years.'"

AdWatch 1990: "Thanks, America, for buying so much Arab Oil"

On October 4, 1990, Pence let er' rip. "My people would like to thank you Americans for buying so much oil," Pence's Arab says. Then he clasps his ring fingers together, shakes them in the air, and exclaims ,"Oh thank you Phil Sharp!"

"Congressional candidate Mike Pence's television ad with the phony Arab is so bad it's perversely delightful," the Indianapolis Star declared. But protests crept up. Pence acted like nothing was wrong: "If I felt the ad was racist, or I felt it was playing to stereotypes, I wasn't going to run it. So, they made sure the dignity of Arabs was preserved. It does not invite you to laugh at Arabs, but it does invite you to laugh."

Fighting climate change should not increase utility rates

Pence: We will always follow the science on that in this administration. What we won't do -- and the Clean Power Plan was all about that -- was hamstring energy in this country, raising the cost of utility rates for working families across this country while other nations like China and India absolutely do nothing or make illusory promises decades down the road to deal with it.

Climate change is not an emergency

PENCE: What I will tell you is that we will always follow the science on that in this administration.

Q: The science says it is.

PENCE: What we won't do -- and the Clean Power Plan was all about that -- was hamstringing energy in this country, raising the cost of utility rates for working families across this country...

Q: But is it a threat?

PENCE: What we have said is that we're not going to raise utility rates. America has the cleanest air and water in the world.

Q: That is not true. We don't have the cleanest air and water in the world.

PENCE: We're making progress on reducing carbon emissions. The answer, though, is not to raise the utility rates of millions of utility rate payers across the country.

Support wind, nuclear, fracking, and offshore drilling

Mike Pence's answer: Yes

Evan McMullin's answer: No

Tim Kaine's answer: Yes

Donald Trump's answer: No, and the government should never support unproven technologies

Gary Johnson's answer: No

Q: Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?

Mike Pence's answer: Yes

Evan McMullin's answer: Yes

Tim Kaine's answer: Yes

Gary Johnson's answer: Yes, but increase oversight

Donald Trump's answer: Yes

Q: Should the U.S. expand offshore oil drilling?

Mike Pence's answer: Yes

Evan McMullin's answer: Yes

Tim Kaine's answer: Yes

Donald Trump's answer: Yes

Gary Johnson's answer: Yes, and deregulate the energy sector

Q: Do you support the use of nuclear energy?

Mike Pence's answer: Yes

Evan McMullin's answer: Yes

Tim Kaine's answer: Yes

Coal miners want an American energy policy

Climate change is not a resolved issue in science

Pence similarly stated on the May 5, 2009, edition of MSNBC's Hardball that "I think the science is very mixed on the subject of global warming."

In July 2014, Pence sent a letter to Indiana's congressional delegation encouraging them to defund the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan, which fights climate change by placing the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants. Pence has since indicated that he will comply with the Clean Power Plan if it is upheld by the Supreme Court, but Indiana remains one of the states challenging the plan's legality. [The Hill, 7/10/14; Post-Tribune, 6/25/16; ClimateWire, 2/26/16]

Sued Obama administration on Clean Energy Plan

Instead of being proactive and taking the responsibility for the rapid transition to renewable energy, Pence is suing the Obama administration's Clean Energy Plan. Pence [prefers] procrastination and nuclear power. This is a needless delay and outright abdication of our energy future to private gain over a public emergency. The federal energy plan should restructure our energy industry to go around state and private corporate impediments to clean renewable power.

By democratizing Indiana Michigan Power Co. and other antiquated power organizations with public and cooperative majority ownership we can exceed our federal energy goals. By 2030 we can extend 3 planned direct current power transmission lines from the wind energy belt across Indiana and greatly reduce our dependence on coal. [Pence opposes those].

Against Obama's plan to battle climate change

All-of-the-above energy strategy instead of EPA over-reach

All-of-the-above American-made energy strategy

Creating a national energy tax through cap and trade legislation will not lower energy costs or create a cleaner environment. A true energy solution will allow the American people to utilize all of our domestic resources, while developing new technologies. Such a plan would lower energy costs and put the American people back to work.

Rated 0% by the CAF, indicating opposition to energy independence.

OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2005-2006 CAF scores as follows:

• 0% - 30%: opposition of energy independence (approx. 206 members)
• 30% - 70%: mixed record on energy independence (approx. 77 members)
• 70%-100%: support for energy independence (approx. 183 members)

The Campaign for America`s Future (CAF) is a center for ideas and action that works to build an enduring majority for progressive change. The Campaign advances a progressive economic agenda and a vision of the future that works for the many, not simply the few. The Campaign is leading the fight for America`s priorities--against privatization of Social Security, for investment in energy independence, good jobs and a sustainable economy, for an ethical and accountable Congress and for high quality public education.

About the CAF report, `Energy Independence: Record vs. Rhetoric`:

Energy independence has surfaced as a defining issue in the current elections. Are most candidates and both parties truly committed? To help distinguish the demonstrated level of support for homegrown, clean energy alternatives, we examined the voting records of current U.S. Representatives and Senators on bills vital to promoting those interests. Key pieces of legislation included goals for independence, and subsidies for the development of alternatives compared to subsidies for drilling and digging. We then compared votes on these issues with campaign contributions from major oil interests. The results show strong inverse correlations between political contributions from big oil and votes for energy independence.

Bar greenhouse gases from Clean Air Act rules.

Amends the Clean Air Act to:
1. exclude from the definition of the term `air pollutant` carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride; and
2. declare that nothing in the Act shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming.

Signed the No Climate Tax Pledge by AFP.

No Climate Tax Pledge: `I pledge to the taxpayers of my state, and to the American people, that I will oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.`

Sponsoring organizations: Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEU); National Taxpayers Union (NTU); Institute for Liberty Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual`s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans.

No EPA regulation of greenhouse gases.

Congressional Summary of H.R.97:

Amends the Clean Air Act to:
1. exclude from the definition of the term `air pollutant` carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, or sulfur hexafluoride; and
2. declare that nothing in the Act shall be treated as authorizing or requiring the regulation of climate change or global warming.

Congressional Summary of H.R.153, `Ensuring Affordable Energy Act`:

Prohibits any funds appropriated or otherwise available for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from being used to implement or enforce:
1. a cap-and-trade program (any regulatory program that provides for the sale, auction, or other distribution of a limited amount of allowances that permit the emission of one or more greenhouse gases); or
2. any statutory or regulatory requirement pertaining to emissions of one or more greenhouse gases from stationary sources that is issued after January 1, 2011.

OnTheIssues Explanation:These two related bills exclude the EPA from taking on global warming by defining greenhouse gases as a `pollutant.` These bills do not directly oppose regulating greenhouse gases nor cap-and-trade; either could still be accomplished by an act of Congress. Instead, they REQUIRE an act of Congress, rather than letting the President and the EPA bypass Congress by regulatory implementation instead of legislative implementation.

Drill the Outer Continental Shelf; & license new nuke plants.

A Roadmap for America`s Energy Future:
• Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a lease sale every 270 days in each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning region for which there is a commercial interest in purchasing federal oil and gas leases for OCS production.
• Requires the federal share of proceeds of lease sales from newly open areas to be deposited in the American-Made Energy Trust Fund (established by this Act).
• Requires the Secretary to accept, in satisfaction of mitigation requirements, proposals for mitigation measures on a site away from the area impacted by exploration and production activities.
• Directs the Secretary to establish a leasing program for oil, gas and oil shale within the Alaska Coastal Plain (ANWR).
• Requires the Secretary to hold a lease sale offering an additional 10 parcels for lease for oil shale development.
• Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to develop, construct, and operate a coal-to-liquid facility.
• States it is the policy of the United States to facilitate the continued development and growth of a safe and clean nuclear energy industry through reductions in financial, regulatory, and technical barriers to construction and operation.
• Directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to issue operating permits for 200 new commercial nuclear reactors.
• Removes all current statutory limitations upon the amount of radiological material that can be placed in Yucca Mountain. Requires the NRC to replace them with new limits based on scientific and technical analysis of the full capacity of Yucca Mountain for the storage of radiological material.
• Prohibits the President from blocking or hindering spent nuclear fuel recycling activities.
• Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to prohibit consideration of the climate change-related impact of a greenhouse gas upon any species of fish, wildlife, or plant.

Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025.

A resolution that it is the goal of the United States that, not later than January 1, 2025, the agricultural, forestry, and working land of the US should provide from renewable resources not less than 25% of the total energy consumed and continue to produce safe, abundant, and affordable food, feed, and fiber. [Governors also signed letters of endorsement at www.25x25.org]

Rep. SALAZAR: `Our resolution establishes a national goal of producing 25% of America`s energy from renewable sources--like solar, wind and biofuels--by 2025. The `25x`25` vision is widely endorsed, bold, and fully attainable. If implemented, it would dramatically improve our energy security, our economy, and our ability to protect the environment.

`I am pleased that more than 20 of my colleagues in the Senate, from both sides of the aisle, are cosponsoring this resolution. In addition, the `25x`25` vision has been endorsed by 22 current and former governors and several State legislatures across the country. The Big Three automobile manufacturers--Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors--are all behind `25x`25` So are many agricultural organizations, environmental groups, scientists, and businesses, ranging from the Natural Resources Defense Council to John Deere.

`These Americans understand that we cannot continue to import 60% of our oil from foreign countries, many of which are hostile to the US, if we aim to be strong and secure in the world. They know that we will have to build a clean energy economy if we are to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It is time for Congress to take a more active role in our clean energy future. Establishing a national goal--`25x`25` is the first step.`