2016 PA Senate race: on Energy & Oil


Katie McGinty: Corn ethanol as renewable fuel can replace some fossil fuels

Toomey says the use of corn ethanol is an economic harm to Pennsylvania, provides no environmental benefit and is "another example of how Katie McGinty loves to pick these corporate welfare programs that enrich a handful of huge agribusiness companies at the cost of average families and consumers and workers," Toomey told reporters.

McGinty, a long-time clean-energy advocate who served as a top environmental policy adviser to former Gov. Ed Rendell and former President Bill Clinton, supports the use of corn ethanol as a renewable fuel that can replace the need for some fossil fuels, according to her campaign.

A 2007 federal law requires companies to blend billions of gallons of ethanol into their gasoline. But it has come under scrutiny as to whether it reduces pollution and the Environmental Protection Agency is expected to produce a report on the impacts of biofuels by December 2017.

Source: The Morning Call on 2016 Pennsylvania Senate debate Sep 12, 2016

Pat Toomey: Corn ethanol is corporate welfare that hurts oil refineries

Toomey highlighted the financial struggles at a Philadelphia-area oil refinery, Philadelphia Energy Solutions, and the role played by ethanol blending costs. The use of corn ethanol is an economic harm to Pennsylvania, provides no environmental benefit and is "another example of how Katie McGinty loves to pick these corporate welfare programs that enrich a handful of huge agribusiness companies at the cost of average families and consumers and workers," Toomey told reporters.

McGinty supports the use of corn ethanol as a renewable fuel that can replace the need for some fossil fuels, according to her campaign. A 2007 federal law requires companies to blend billions of gallons of ethanol into their gasoline.

Toomey has co-sponsored legislation that would kill the fuel-blending requirement that is typically satisfied by corn ethanol, but leave intact a separate requirement for refiners to blend in different renewable additives, albeit at smaller amounts.

Source: The Morning Call on 2016 Pennsylvania Senate debate Sep 12, 2016

Katie McGinty: No fracking COMPANY donations; but some from fracking execs

The fight on fracking resurrected a clash from early in the race, when McGinty said she had received no campaign contributions from the oil or gas industries. She has taken some donations from executives either at oil & gas companies or in closely relate businesses, such as pipelines--but she has said no money has come directly from oil or gas firms or their political arms. "I do not have a penny from an oil company, a gas company," she said, while noting several endorsements from environmental advocates McGinty has worked in key environmental protection jobs throughout her career, as well as privately in the energy industry.

"Stop splitting hairs," Fetterman fired back, saying her oil and gas donations run into the six figures--citing a broad range of contributions from law firms, lobbyists, and many others, some with only loose ties to oil and gas. One donation he cites is from a lawyer who opposes fracking. McGinty argued that Fetterman, by his broad standard, has accepted similar donations.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer on 2016 Pennsylvania Senate debate Apr 6, 2016

John Fetterman: Encourage clean energy policies

During the last 10 years as mayor, John encouraged clean energy policies to create new jobs and put folks in Braddock back to work. He's applied a hands-on approach from AmeriCorps and his service experience with to take steps towards progress and rebuild this community, creating jobs, getting youth engaged, and bringing creative urban policy solutions to Braddock.
Source: 2016 Pennsylvania Senate campaign website JohnFetterman.com Sep 22, 2015

  • The above quotations are from 2016 Pennsylvania Senate race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Energy & Oil.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
Candidates and political leaders on Energy & Oil:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Jul 19, 2019