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Chris Christie on Energy & Oil

 

 


Consider windmills off NJ coast

[Christie debated Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan on radio in the GOP primary of 2009]. Christie said he would consider power-generating windmills off the Jersey coast; Lonegan said they were a money-draining experiment.
Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.138 , Jun 5, 2012

Pulled out of ten-state Regional Greenhouse Gas program

Americans for Prosperity in 2010 circulated a document to politicians asking them not to support climate change legislation. Christie did not sign it. He did, however, pull out of the 10-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program (RGGI). Christie called RGGI a failure that would result in higher energy taxes and render the state uncompetitive with neighbors not in the program such as Pennsylvania. RGGI was an effort by the supporting states to tackle climate change issues by charging companies for polluting emissions but allowing them to buy credits from firms that don't pollute, which would theoretically offer economic incentive to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Critics saw a pattern developing. Christie scaled back renewable energy goals, scaled back rebates for solar panels at residences, vetoed a bill that would have banned fracking, a process of using pressurized fluid to release gas and petroleum for extraction.

Source: Rise to Power, by B. Ingle & M. Symons, p.240-241 , Jun 5, 2012

The future for New Jersey is in green energy

Gov. Christie said in May: "The future for New Jersey is in green energy and already we've put in place policies to broaden our access to renewable sources of energy, cleaner natural gas generation and ending our reliance on coal generation."

The Christie Administration has a proven record of commitment to secure the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy in our state. The wind power movement is providing New Jersey with a unique opportunity to advance green energy as industry.

Source: 2011 gubernatorial press release, "Renewable Energy" , Jul 26, 2011

Don't tap strategic reserves for political purposes

Q: What about gas prices? Do you think it was the right thing to do to tap the strategic reserves to drive down gas prices?

A: I'm concerned about that. I think the strategic reserves are for strategic purposes and not political purposes.

Q: You thought this was a political move?

A: Well, I think it looks like that. I don't know if it was. But I think it looks like that and that gives me some concern because it hurts the credibility of the program if people feel that's the way it was used.

Source: Interview on NBC "Meet the Press" , Jun 26, 2011

Incentivize energy manufacturing & wind turbines

Source: 2009 Gubernatorial campaign website, christiefornj.com , Nov 3, 2009

Make NJ a magnet for renewable energy manufacturer

Energy as Industry is an opportunity to recover the good-paying, middle-class jobs that have been lost by focusing on production. As the country and the rest of the world makes renewable energy a priority, New Jersey has an opportunity and ability to once again become a leader of industry.Make New Jersey a magnet for renewable energy manufacturers: