The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

Laura Knoy was anxious to talk with Gov. Richardson about his energy policy on “The Exchange” this morning saying “you and I could talk for 5 hours about this.”  Knoy lead the conversation off by noting that his policy calls for major investments in alternative energies and huge reductions in greenhouse gasses and asking how he plans to accomplish such goals.

Richardson responded that he’ll accomplish his goals with “an energy revolution; by mandates and by the congress and the president working together, and the American people joining too.”  Richardson then detailed familiar goals of reducing consumption of fossil fuels 50% , shifting to 30% clean energy sources and increasing fuel efficiency standards to 50mpg, all by 2020.  Richardson noted that his plan calls for energy efficiency, green buildings, schools, jobs etc. and says it’s a “massive revolution that the President has to lead.”

Knoy then asked Richardson about mass transit, noting that NH wants to expand 93 instead of building a commuter rail.  Richardson explained that under his leadership, New Mexico built a commuter rail between Albuquerque and Santa Fe that is energy efficient, cheaper and very popular among his constituents.

Knoy added her doubts saying that some Americans don’t want to take the train. She said that Americans want to drive their SUV’s and even joked with Richardson about owning one himself.  Richardson noted that he does have a flex fuel, ethanol SUV and a hybrid and touted his plan to pursue more fuel efficient vehicles that run on cleaner energy sources so that people can drive the vehicles they want.  He stated:

“You can have it both ways if we invest in technology, if we mandate the auto companies that don’t want to do anything because they’re worried about profits; they’re not doing well, they’re not being competitive.  Look at the other foreign companies in Europe and Japan, they’re moving competitively with more fuel efficient vehicles and they’re doing well and we’re just sitting here debating if we should go to 30 mpg, that’s pathetic, by the year 2020 we should be at 50!”

After clarifying that he is for cap and trade vs. a carbon tax, Richardson noted that he has cut taxes as Governor of New Mexico:

“I cut taxes in my state, I brought in solar energy companies, renewable energy companies by saying – if you come to my state and you pay over the prevailing wage, you train our people, I’ll give you tax incentives.  As a result, we’ve got a balance budget, we’ve got a surplus, we’ve got a state that is economically doing well and attracting new industries that are clean … That’s what I would do as president, give companies those incentives.”

Lastly, Knoy asked Richardson to clarify his position on nuclear power.  After noting that he’s not a fan of nuclear, Richardson said that he wouldn’t discard it completely, but rather “instruct all our national laboratories, our scientists to come up with scientific way to safely dispose of nuclear waste… we need to find a solution to the waste.”

Richardson then made sure to emphasize that his priorities lie with renewable energy sources:

“If I were going to give subsidies, and let me just say that I would, and tax incentives and investment, it would be to renewables because they’re cleaner, I think they’re technologically more promising, especially wind energy, and I would make a massive shift away from fossil fuels…nuclear does not emit GHG emissions but I think if you look at this energy bill they’re considering, there are all these little special deals for nuclear, why should they get it?  Why doesn’t solar get it? And wind and bio-mass and bio-fuels and bio-diesel and hydrogen and natural gas?  Those are cleaner.  Why are we so reliant on these companies and these energy companies that control our political process?”