2010 Kentucky Senate Debates: on Energy & Oil

Jack Conway: Protect coal even under cap-and-trade

CONWAY: I'm against cap and trade, too. Always have been.

Q: Well, that's not true. You supported the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill back in 2009.

CONWAY: No, I didn't. I have said I'm always going to protect coal and I'm always going to protect electricity. I did not support Waxman-Markey. And I even took on the EPA. I filed a lawsuit against the EPA when they were doing just what Dr. Paul was describing.

PAUL: In June 2009 you issued a statement saying you supported the cap-and-trade bill and you were confident it could be reformed. You said you wanted to be part of the negotiated compromise.

CONWAY: I've been consistent in my position saying I'm going to stand up for Kentucky coal. I'm going to make certain we keep our electricity rates low.

Rand Paul: Unelected EPA should not regulate greenhouse emissions

PAUL: It's a combination of federal, state and local regulations. Which way do we want to shift the debate. Do we want more federal or more local? We now have an EPA that is writing rules, saying, "If Congress doesn't pass greenhouse emissions testing, we will simply do it on our own." I think the arrogance of unelected bureaucrats to say that they create law needs to come to an end. We need to say to unelected bureaucrats, "You do not make regulations. You do not write regulations."

CONWAY: I'm against cap and trade, too. Always have been.

Q: Well, that's not true. You supported the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill back in 2009.

CONWAY: No, I didn't. I have said I'm always going to protect coal.

Jack Conway: Coal yes; cap-and-trade no