Ned Lamont on Energy & Oil

	Ned Lamont on Energy & Oil Democratic Challenger

Keep our energy system reliable, affordable, and less toxic

The cost of dealing with climate change is expensive, the cost of doing nothing is immeasurable. We must continue working together to keep our energy system reliable, affordable, and less toxic. Most of our energy supply is carbon free, thanks in large part to nuclear power, but we have also doubled down on wind and solar and hydropower. Source: 2024 State of the State Address to Connecticut legislature , Feb 7, 2024

Control our energy supply chain so Putin and Saudis can't

Come on electric utilities, don't tell me you are just passing along those high natural gas prices to the ratepayer and ask the taxpayers to subsidize it more. Let's get control over our energy supply chain so Putin and the Saudis can no longer control our destiny and our wallets. We have made a start by expanding our wind power, extending our nuclear power, pushing hard to get access to Canadian hydro power, and making our homes more energy efficient ? that's less costs and carbon free. Source: 2023 State of the State Address to Connecticut legislature , Jan 4, 2023

Carbon free electric grid; transportation system to follow

Our electric grid will soon be carbon free, and our transportation system is soon to follow. Our budget provides for hundreds of electric charging stations as our state transitions to an all-electric fleet. We are beginning our conversion to all-electric school buses and city buses, reducing air pollution in some of our most distressed communities, where there is a disproportionately higher rate of asthma. That's what we mean by environmental justice. Source: 2022 State of the State Address to Connecticut legislature , Feb 9, 2022

Focus on incentives & conservation to reduce oil dependence

Q: Energy cost increases averaged 6.3% in the Northeast this season. What should we do?

LIEBERMAN: This is an outrage. People are being cheated. Last December, in the midst of the heating oil season, I submitted legislation that would impose a 50% Excess Profits Tax on oil companies for really undeserved profits and return that money to low- and middle-income consumers to help them pay bills.

SCHLESINGER: With all due respect, Joe, been there, done that. The last time we did, interest rates was to 14%, you couldn't get a mortgage, oil prices skyrocketed, and it just didn't work. Pres. Reagan repealed that Excess Profits Tax, and immediately oil prices fell to a 20-year low, and stayed therefore about 20 years. So that's not the solution.

LAMONT: Front and center to deal with energy prices is that we've got to deal with our dependence on oil, with incentives and conservation to allow that to happen.

Source: CT 2006 Debate with Al Terzi, moderator (X-ref Lieberman) , Oct 19, 2006

Cheney Energy Bill lost chance for comprehensive energy plan

LAMONT: After 9/11, there was a sense that people were ready to do the right thing for energy independence. Instead Dick Cheney invited 100 of his favorite energy CEOs and lobbyists behind closed doors, and they passed the Energy Bill. It provided billions of dollars in subsidies to Exxon-Mobil, but did nothing in terms of weaning us from foreign oil; did nothing in terms of fuel economy standards; nothing in terms of conservation that would reduce our need. Sen. Lieberman was one of the only New England Senators to sign onto that bill. It was a bad bill.

LIEBERMAN: The Energy Bill has the most substantial incentives for energy conservation and alternative energy that Congress has ever adopted.

LAMONT: The real problem with that energy bill was along with production incentives, that was the time to put efficiency standards, to put together a comprehensive energy plan that would have meant real energy independence. For Sen. Lieberman to sign onto that bill we lost that opportunity.

Source: CT 2006 Debate with Al Terzi, moderator , Oct 19, 2006

Cheney energy bill keeps us dependent on foreign oil

After 9/11, our country would have done just about anything our government asked us to do, and there was nothing more important than energy conservation to free us from this dependence upon foreign oil. Instead, V.P. Cheney invited 50 of his favorite lobbyists behind closed doors and passed the energy bill nicknamed "no lobbyist left behind." It was a bad bill. It was loaded with tax subsidies for big oil and did little for conservation and freeing us from a horrible dependence upon Middle East oil. Since that bill has passed, look at what's happened to the price of gasoline.

Look what Jimmy Carter did 20 years ago. We doubled the fuel mileage standards of our automobiles. We greatly increased the fuel efficiency of our appliances, and the price of gasoline went down for the next 20 years. We got a little fat and happy and we started driving SUV's again. But now is the time to deal with conservation in a serious way. And Sen. Lieberman's support of the Dick Cheney energy bill was a mistake.

Source: 2006 Connecticut Democratic Senate Primary debate , Jul 6, 2006

Overarching plan for clean energy and energy independence

Following the tragedy of 9/11, America had a unique opportunity to begin liberating itself from dependence upon foreign oil, which would not only strengthen our position in the war on terror but also reduce CO2 emissions & their disastrous environmental effects. Instead, Congress passed the 2005 Energy Bill, which featured billions in subsidies to big oil and did little for conservation and energy efficiency.

Clean energy is not only important to our economic and national security, but the future of the planet hangs in the balance. By 2025, China & India will double their oil consumption.

I support an overarching plan for clean energy and energy independence: basic research, higher mileage per gallon standards, disincentives for high polluting and gas guzzling users and incentives for high mileage, and clean energy alternatives. Energy independence and the environment must be an integral part of every public policy decision.

Source: 2006 Senate campaign website, www.NedLamont.com , May 2, 2006

Bush energy bill loaded with tax giveaways to oil lobby

Q: What is your perspective on what we need to be doing in terms of our energy situation?

A: 9/11 was a terrible tragedy, but also it was a new start for this country, and we missed an opportunity to get serious about energy independence, energy conservation and global warming-they're all tied together. Instead, Bush passed the energy bill. It was a terrible piece of legislation loaded with tax giveaways to the oil producers and the nuclear lobby. This bad piece of legislation was overwhelmingly opposed by the environmentalists out there and supported by Sen. Lieberman. First and foremost, we ought to be looking at conservation, we ought to have tax incentives for conservation and we ought to make that a national priority. Secondly, we ought to have tax incentives for renewables. That's how we're going to free ourselves from, as Tom Friedman said, paying for both sides of the war on terror with our addiction to foreign oil.

Source: Sam Seder interview on "The Randi Rhodes Show" , Mar 10, 2006

Click here for definitions & background information on Energy & Oil. Click here for a summary of all issue stances of Ned Lamont. Click here for a Wikipedia profile of Ned Lamont. Click here for a Ballotpedia profile of Ned Lamont. Click here for VoteMatch responses by Ned Lamont. Click here for issue positions of other CT politicians. Click here for CT primary archives. Click here for CT secondary archives.
*Other governors on Energy & Oil:*			*Ned Lamont on other issues:*
[Title7]	*Gubernatorial Debates 2023:* KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D) vs.State A.G. Daniel Cameron(R) vs.Ambassador Kelly Craft(R) vs.State Auditor Mike Harmon(R) LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited) vs.Jeff Landry(R) vs.Shawn Wilson(D) vs.John Schroder(R) vs.Sharon Hewitt(R) MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R) vs.Bill Waller(R,withdrew) vs.Brandon Presley(D) *Gubernatorial Debates 2024:* DE: Gov. John Carney (D, term-limited); Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long (D) vs. Matt Meyer (D) IN: Gov. Eric Holcomb (R, term-limited); Sen. Mike Braun (R) vs. Suzanne Crouch (R) vs. Jennifer McCormick (D) MO: Gov. Mike Parson (R, term-limited): Jay Ashcroft (R) vs. Bill Eigel (R) vs. Mike Kehoe (R) vs. Crystal Quade (D) MT: Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) vs. Tanner Smith (R) vs. Ryan Busse (D)	*Gubernatorial Debates 2024 (continued):* NC: Gov. Roy Cooper (D, term-limited); Dale Folwell (R) vs. Michael Morgan (D) vs. Mark Robinson (R) vs. Josh Stein (D) vs. Andy Wells (R) ND: Gov. Doug Burgum (R) vs. State Rep. Rick Becker (R) NH: Gov. Chris Sununu (R, retiring) vs. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R) vs. Joyce Craig (D) vs. Chuck Morse (R) vs. Cinde Warmington (D) UT: Gov. Spencer Cox (R) vs. State Rep. Phil Lyman (R) VT: Gov. Phil Scott (R) unopposed WA: Gov. Jay Inslee (D, retiring); Hilary Franz (D, withdrew) vs. State Sen. Mark Mullet (D) vs. County Chair Semi Bird (R) vs. WA Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D) WV: Gov. Jim Justice (R, term-limited); vs. WV State Auditor JB McCuskey (R, withdrew) vs. WV Secretary of State Mac Warner (R) vs. State Del. Moore Capito (R) vs. WV Attorney General Patrick Morrisey (R) vs. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams (D)	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Local Issues Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty [Title9]