Martha Coakley on Energy & Oil

Supports raising gas tax from 10 cents (actually 24 cents)

Supports cap-and-trade, but not a carbon tax

Martha Coakley has not publicly come out in support of taxing pollution, saying that she's "not sure it's the only solution" to climate change. Coakley has in the past, however, voiced support for a national cap-and-trade program.

Berwick has also expressed support for a mandatory cap and trade carbon emissions control system, and has said he would double the state's investment in clean energy from 0.6 percent of the budget to 1.2 percent.

Supports national cap-and-trade system, plus renewables

National cap-and-trade market-based CO2 reduction

Martha supports a national cap-and-trade program that will utilize a market-based approach to control pollution. Martha believes that by providing economic incentives to industries for achieving emissions reductions, we can achieve superior environmental protection and give businesses both the flexibility and direct financial incentives they need to find faster, cheaper and more innovative ways to reduce pollution.

In Washington, Martha will support the national Global Warming Pollution Reduction Program, proposed in the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Develop large scale utility-backed solar power projects

"Development of solar generation through a statewide pool will drive down costs through economies of scale and spread the costs and benefits across the broadest base of customers," said Attorney General Coakley.

"Solar power is a key component of our clean energy future," said Governor Deval Patrick; the project is "an innovative new model to bring renewable energy--and the jobs that come with it--across the state at the lowest cost possible."

Greenhouse gases are pollutants that threaten public health

"In the face of the compelling body of scientific evidence supporting an endangerment finding, this long-overdue proposal constitutes a significant and meaningful first step towards regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act," said Attorney General Coakley.

The EPA expressly characterized their proposed endangerment finding as a direct response to Massachusetts v. EPA, a Supreme Court decision which held that the EPA could not avoid deciding whether greenhouse gases endanger public health on grounds of economics or foreign policy, but must decide based on the issues identified in the Clean Air Act.

Spent nuclear fuel is subject to terrorist attack

"Our appeal is intended to ensure that the NRC give due consideration on these important environmental and public safety issues," said Coakley. "While nuclear energy will undoubtedly be a part of our regional and national energy landscape, the NRC needs to change its rules to ensure the agency adequately addresses the risks of severe accidents involving spent fuel storage pools caused by terrorist attack and other events.