2012 State of the Union address: on Energy & Oil
Jill Stein:
Let states prevent nuclear power plants
Just last week, a federal court told the people of Vermont that they could not prevent a dangerous nuclear power plant from operating in their state. The court did this on the basis of a doctrine known as "field preemption." Basically, the State of
Vermont is barred--or "preempted"--from regulating the nuclear power industry because a federal judge says that the industry is the concern of the federal government only. Over the past 30 years, we have seen other reforms "preempted" in the same way.
Source: Green Party 2012 People's State of the Union speech
Jan 25, 2012
Jill Stein:
World War II-scale mobilization to reduce carbon burden
At the recent UN climate conference in South Africa, the Obama administration worked to delay international agreements on carbon emissions until 2020. This delay will allow critical climate tipping points to be passed that will accelerate warming to
the point it cannot be controlled. As renowned NASA scientist James Hanson puts it, delaying action to aggressively lower carbon would mean game over for the climate and therefore for civilization as we know it.For that reason the
Green New Deal will address these problems with a World War II-scale mobilization to transform the way we produce and use energy. We will provide leadership along the way to binding international agreements that will return the carbon burden in
our atmosphere to safe levels. We will proceed with utmost urgency, and put the United States 30 years ahead of the global curve. Let the rest of the world catch up with us!
Source: Green Party 2012 People's State of the Union speech
Jan 25, 2012
Barack Obama:
All-of-the-above energy; enough natural gas or 100 years
Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. We've opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and more than 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the
highest that it's been in 8 years. Last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years.But with only 2% of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every
available source of American energy--a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.
We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years. Developing this energy will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
And I'm requiring all companies that drill for gas on public lands to disclose the chemicals they use. America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.
Source: 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Barack Obama:
Don't cede wind, or solar, or battery industry to foreigners
It was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract natural gas out of shale rock--reminding us that Government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground.
Our experience with shale gas shows us that the payoffs on these public investments don't always come right away. Some technologies don't pan out; some companies fail. But I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.
I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here. We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That's long enough.
It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that's never been more promising.
Source: 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Barack Obama:
Clean energy on public lands, and for defense department
We can spur energy innovation with new incentives. Tonight, I'm directing my Administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power three million homes. And I'm proud to announce that the Department of Defense, the world's
largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history--with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year.Of course, the easiest way to save money is to waste less energy.
So here's another proposal: Help manufacturers eliminate energy waste in their factories and give businesses incentives to upgrade their buildings. Their energy bills will be $100 billion lower over the next decade, and America will have less pollution,
more manufacturing, and more jobs for construction workers who need them. Building this new energy future should be just one part of a broader agenda to repair America's infrastructure.
Source: 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Barack Obama:
FactCheck: Oil dependence low; but gas prices highest ever
In his State of the Union speech, Obama said, "Right now, American oil production is the highest that it's been in 8 years. Last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years."All that is true--as far as it goes.
The current 2011 average for US petroleum production is 7,782 million barrels per day, the highest since 1998. And the current average for US dependence on foreign oil is 45.4%. That's the lowest since 1995.
But economists say the chief reason for the declining oil imports is reduced consumption, brought on by the recent economic recession.
And--what the president also didn't mention--the annual average price of a gallon of gasoline was $3.52 in 2011--the highest in history. It's small comfort to motorists that prices spiked even higher for a brief period under George W. Bush.
Source: FactCheck.org on 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Barack Obama:
FactCheck: Promised for 3 years to end oil industry subsidy
Obama said in the State of the Union, "We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That's long enough. It's time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that's rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that's
never been more promising."THE FACTS: This is at least Obama's third run at stripping subsidies from the oil industry. Back when fellow Democrats formed the House and Senate majorities, he sought
$36.5 billion in tax increases on oil and gas companies over the next decade, but Congress largely ignored the request. He called again to end such tax breaks in last year's State of the Union speech.
And he's now doing it again, despite facing a wall of opposition from Republicans who want to spur domestic oil and gas production and oppose tax increases generally.
Source: Fox News FactCheck on 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Newt Gingrich:
Obama favors far-left interests at expense of energy jobs
So much of that nearly trillion-dollar stimulus didn't create jobs but just went into the pockets of special interests who support Obama and the Democratic Party. No better example of this exists than in the crisis of American energy.
President Obama and his political allies--not of few of whom love living in energy inefficient houses or driving gas-guzzling luxury vehicles--openly admit they want gas prices to remain high so that the rest of America will learn to live more modestly.
They think it's good for the rest of us. Only recently, the president canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline that would have created countless new jobs and helped
America on the way to energy independence because he wanted to appease the far left of his party. And yet not a single word on the Keystone XL pipeline tonight.
Source: Response to 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Ron Paul:
Develop energy independence; no crony handouts like Solyndra
President Obama remains committed to the same old system of debt, deficits, bailouts, and cronyism that created our economic problems. The President speaks of giving us energy independence from unstable nations, yet he refuses to allow the type of
development needed to achieve this goal, while at the same time his administration hands out favors to the politically connected--those given to the likes of Solyndra, who fail to produce jobs or energy but succeed in ripping off the taxpayers.
Source: Response to 2012 State of the Union speech
Jan 24, 2012
Page last updated: Feb 24, 2019