Politico.com: on Energy & Oil

Amy Klobuchar: Green New Deal is aspirational; don't over-promise

On climate change, Klobuchar said she believes that "we can get close" to the Green New Deal, but that she doesn't "think we're going to get rid of entire industries in the U.S."

"We need to get this debate going, and this is put out there as an aspiration in that something we need to move toward," she said. "Do I think we can cross every 'T' and dot every 'I' in 10 years? Actually, I think that would be very difficult to do."

She also looked ahead to the potential legislation, acknowledging that "there are going to be compromises" and "it's not going to look exactly like that," she said.

Bill Nelson: Climate change, sea-level rise risk lives and property

Bob Dole: Mandate more clean & renewable energy, for oil independence

Bruce Braley: Supported Keystone Pipeline initially, then rejected it

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers: FactCheck: Natural gas lowered CO2 only temporarily

FactCheck: It's certainly been a good stretch. But the party may be over.

The US energy sector's carbon dioxide emissions actually ticked up 2% last year, the country's first annual increase in three years, according to new Energy Information Administration data released earlier this month. And the reason for the ups and downs had little to do with the policies Obama put in place and much to do with industry trends tied to the good old marketplace of supply and demand. Just look at the EIA report: Natural gas prices had hit a historic low in 2012, part of a longer trend that led to the major emission cuts Obama took credit for. But those prices also started to tick back up, pushing electric utilities to burn more coal--and in turn pollute more.

Chris Christie: FactCheck: Yes, New Jersey is a solar powerhouse

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.)

Dan Malloy: Moving Canadian oil thru the US is not best for the economy

Gov. Dannel Malloy (D, CT) chimed in to clarify--and to chastise a bit. "Until a few moments ago we were going down a pretty cooperative road," he said to some nervous laughs from some in the crowd. "So let me just say that we don't all agree that moving Canadian oil through the United States is necessarily the best thing for the United States economy."

Many of those who attended the NGA conference, Malloy added, support raising the minimum wage and other priorities that Obama laid out.

Donald Trump: Offered to oversee response to 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill

Donald Trump: Expand sales of corn ethanol year-round to 15%

Trump, a vocal supporter of corn ethanol, will order EPA to allow year-round sales of gasoline with 15% ethanol content, an increase over the 10% blends that are sold at most gas stations around the nation. The sale of the blends, known as "E15," is currently prohibited during the summer months in several states because of Clean Air Act restrictions, and corn growers have long sought to expand sales of the higher concentrations.

Trump has previously called for increased sales of ethanol, which consumes about 40% of the US corn crop. He strongly backed the biofuel during the 2016 campaign, a stance that appealed to Midwestern farmers, but which the oil industry staunchly opposed.

Jeb Bush: Replace crony capitalism with free-market strategy

"We should let market forces, not crony capitalism, decide where to invest and how to incentivize citizens to conserve," Bush said, advocating approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, "rational" regulations on fracking, and opening federal lands to drilling. "A real energy strategy could add an additional 1% growth over the long haul.

John McCain: FactCheck: Pushed cap-and-trade bill in 2009, but not since

Cap-and-trade legislation akin to McCain-Lieberman has been dead for some time, and Obama's one of the guilty parties. McCain has shown little interest since 2009 in taking the lead on global warming legislation, while Lieberman is off in retirement. So far, the only lawmakers even proposing bills that look like McCain-Lieberman are liberal lions like Sens. Barbara Boxer and Bernie Sanders, not exactly hope for bipartisan legislation. It's not clear Obama will invest any political capital to push for that or other climate change legislation. Any action on the issue will likely have to come from the president alone, via executive order and regulations that will no doubt be controversial.

Joni Ernst: Drives hybrid car, but doubts climate change is man-made

Mark Begich: Drill in the Arctic Ocean; drill in National Forests

"Even though Washington keeps trying to stop Alaska from developing our natural resources, I'm pushing for more oil drilling and mining because it means thousands of new jobs that you can raise a family on," he says in the 60-second spot, "and because it's our land, and we know best how to use it."

Begich began running radio ads early. Each ad presents him as an outsider fighting against the unpopular status quo in Washington. Previous topics include education reform and decrying the government shutdown.

Begich notes that he got the Forest Service to open up 11 new drill sites at Greens Creek and to expand the mine to keep it open for an additional 30 years. "And next year, Shell Oil is coming back to the Arctic Ocean, bringing new and upgraded drill ships so we can finally start drilling after decades of waiting," said Begich.

Michelle Lujan-Grisham: Climate change risks environmental annihilation

Mike Bloomberg: $218M effort led to closure of 282 coal-fired power plants

For instance, Bloomberg has contributed $218 million for clean-energy efforts that, among other results, have led to the closure of 282 coal-fired power plants. But he does not oppose, at least in the short term, other fossil fuel use--and that's not good enough for climate change activists

Mitch McConnell: I blocked the passage of Obama's cap-and-trade

Grimes blamed McConnell for lost coal jobs, but he fired back that he was actually able to block the passage of cap-and-trade legislation when Democrats had a super majority of 60 votes in the Senate and it was a top presidential priority. He suggested that Obama is using executive orders because of his deft maneuvering in the Senate.

The challenge for McConnell is making sure that the swing voters left in this race do not see him as part of the problem in Washington.McConnell says he's not a scientist and doesn't know for sure if global warming is a problem. Grimes said, "I recognize, unlike Sen. McConnell, the realities of climate change, but I do believe we have to take a balanced approach."

Nikki Fried: Middle of the road policies got C-minus from Sierra Club

Scott Pruitt: Grant oil industry waivers to ignore gasohol mandate

Trump has personally sought to mediate the dispute, which has pitted ethanol backers against [oil states who asked to] grant concessions to the oil industry. The oil industry had benefited from the more than two dozen waivers that former EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt granted to refineries that allowed them to ignore the mandate that they blend the corn-based fuel with gasoline. But that angered farm groups, who said it reduced the requirement for ethanol by billions of gallons.

Thom Tillis: Climate change is not an established fact

"We're all conservatives," Tillis said; "You have conservative choices in this primary." While mostly playing it safe, Tillis staked out a series of positions on the right that could hurt him in the general election: agreeing with the other three candidates on stage that climate change is not an established fact, and opposing a federal minimum wage.

When asked if the mentally ill should be able to own guns, Brannon suggested that people with PTSD and other forms of temporary mental illness should. Tillis responded, "Mr. Brannon just said yes to your question, which I think is irresponsible," he said. "You can't put a gun in the hands of someone who represents a danger to themselves or society. Folks, this is being a practical conservative.

Tom Daschle: Mandate more clean & renewable energy, for oil independence

Tom Steyer: AdWatch: I left my business to combat climate change

"I left my business to combat climate change, fix our democracy, and hold President Trump accountable," Steyer said in one of his new ads. "Last year, we ran the largest youth voter registration in history, helping double turnout and win back the House."

The $1.4 million buy represents a small chunk of what Steyer has committed to spending on his presidential bid. A Steyer spokesperson said that the billionaire former hedge fund manager will spend "at least $100 million" on the race.

Joe Biden: No drilling on 16M acres in Alaska; but other drilling OK

PROMISE BROKEN: (Politico, 3/13/23): Biden's decision to allow ConocoPhillips to build its massive Willow oil project on federal land in the Alaska wilderness is causing an uproar among environmentalists who not long ago were praising the president over the billions in climate funding in his signature Inflation Reduction Act. But a separate White House announcement that it would take 16 million acres of Alaska land and Arctic waters off the table for new oil lease sales triggered blowback from the fossil fuel industry, whose relations with Biden appointees had been warming as recently as last week.