Presidential Candidates views on ANWR – The Republicans
With the number of contenders for the 2008 Presidential election firming up Arctic Power has conducted research into the views of the candidates on the ANWR issue. In this two part series we will review the past history and current views of the candidates toward allowing exploration in the 10-02 Area. A quick overview of each candidate’s home states will also be made to compare their views with the realities of their constituent areas.
There are ten republican candidates whom have been traditionally linked with pro-ANWR 10-02 development. There are 10 Republican candidates currently making the rounds. All but one are committed to opening ANWR.
Without further ado, here is how the candidates stack up:
The REPUBLICAN
HOPEFULS:
Mike Huckabee – Former Governor of Arkansas. "The first thing I will do as president is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence," says Huckabee. He continues, “achieving energy independence is vital to achieving success both in the war on terror and in globalization” and, “we have to explore, we have to conserve, and we have to pursue all avenues of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, bio-diesel, and biomass…” To say the least Huckabee embraces most all forms of energy. He is clear about ANWR stating, “Our goal is to be non-dependent upon fossil fuels, but there will be an interim period in which we'll need to utilize all the domestic oil that we can generate by ourselves, whether it's from ANWR or the continental shelf.” Huckabee’s plans to achieve energy independence by a second term are ambitious, but his views on the environment and energy show he is taking a studied, all encompassing, approach. On global warming Huckabee is “not convinced” it is caused by humankind.
For more information visit Huckabee’s energy page at:
http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&Issue_id=21
A tiny amount of oil is produced from coal bed methane deposits in Arkansas. Two refineries operate off of imported crude oil from Mississippi and supply much of the state’s needs. Arkansas produces 1% of the nation’s natural gas. Coal is shipped in from Wyoming to operate its electricity plants. Natural gas, coal and nuclear are Arkansas main sources of electricity. Arkansas produces very little electricity from renewable resources such as hydro or solar. There is no capacity for bio-fuel production and a mere 3000 ethanol-burning cars on its roads. For more information on Arkansas energy visit: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=AR
Congressman Ronald Paul (Texas) – Congressman Paul has been a friend of ANWR for many years. He is supportive of exploration of the 10-02 Area and also of moving some federal Arctic lands back to the State. Congressman Paul has a caveat on ANWR that so long as it can be done without federal dollars he is for it. He also believes refuges should be privatized! The congressman’s voting record on ANWR includes consistent support throughout his career. For more information on Paul see: http://www.ronpaul2008.com
Texas is known for oil and with Alaska is top of production in the nation. The EIA ranks Texas as number one for energy production and consumption, that’s both in renewable and carbon based output. Texas produces more wind power than any other state. Twenty-five percent of America’s oil refining capability lies within its borders. Texas’ oil consumption is thus understandably high due to its refineries output. Texas is the source of many of the nation’s energy pipelines, feeding Colorado, the Northeast and Mid-west with petroleum products. Natural gas is used to provide half the state’s power. Coal fired plants supply most of the rest. Much coal is imported from Wyoming for this purpose. Texas produces no ethanol yet has 56,000 (2.4% of the nation’s) alternative fuel cars on the road. Half of Texans use electricity to heat/cool their homes, the other half mostly natural gas. For more on Texas energy see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TX
Rudy Giuliani (New York) – The former famous mayor of the Big Apple is not surprisingly a strong advocate of energy independence in America. He is a supporter of clean coal, bio-fuels, and nuclear, yet has made scant mention of ANWR in any of his policy speeches. However, many in the press consider him an ANWR advocate despite his silence on the issue. Jonah Goldberg of the Washington Times once said, "first of all, if New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani learned that there were between 3 billion and 16 billion barrels of oil underneath Central Park, he would be out there first thing Monday morning laying down orange traffic cones to save parking spaces for the roughnecks."
Giuliani is perhaps trying to avoid the ire of the environmental movement by not mentioning ANWR. His views compared to his colleagues seem more middle of the road. "The idea of energy independence for the United States is maybe the wrong paradigm
--— I don't know if we can ever be independent," Giuliani said. But he added, "I think you can be independent by being diversified," arguing that Americans needed to depend more on home-grown fuels and energy resources.” Because of his lack of Congressional tenure Giuliani has no voting record on ANWR. For more information on Giuliani see: http://www.joinrudy2008.com/issues/
“New York produces roughly 300,000 barrels of oil per year and 19 million cf of natural gas a year. This is a mere drop in the national bucket yet New York is a big producer of refined petroleum products and is the largest supplier in the Northeast (and the largest supply hub in America). The Empire State is almost entirely reliant on imports of oil and gas to do so. New York, along with its NE neighbors, is heavily dependent on fuel oil for heating homes and is a subscriber of the Northeast Heating Oil Reserve, a smaller version of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. NY NY is one of the largest hydroelectric producers in the eastern US, but produces almost no solar or wind power. New York uses four nuclear reactors, which supply most of its electricity. New Yorkers have one of the lowest energy consumption per capita levels (due to the high number of apartment dwellers and high use of mass transit), and yet the state is one of the largest consumers of energy due to its refining and manufacturing industry. Boutique fuels are mandated in the Big Apple and other urban centers.
For more info on New York’s energy use see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NY
Senator John McCain (Arizona) – Senator McCain does not currently support the opening of the 10-02 Area. He has consistently voted against provisions in the Senate that support exploration of ANWR for many years. Officially he understands ANWR contains energy resources, yet is unconvinced of the amounts, and believes they cannot be retrieved “without considerable costs to taxpayers." He is most supportive of nuclear power as the way towards energy independence, and wants to make strong use of America’s clean coal technology as well as ethanol. McCain does not support the Kyoto protocol on global warming.
For more of McCain’s views on energy and ANWR please see:
http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/65bd0fbe-737b-4851-a7e7-d9a37cb278db.htm
Arizona produces 3000 barrels of oil per year, much coal, but no natural gas. It is naturally suited towards solar energy production (the best sun in the nation) yet produces less than .01% of its energy from solar. Two pipelines supply Arizona from California and Texas with petroleum products and natural gas. An oil refinery is being built to alleviate supply problems. Nearly 100% of Arizona’s electricity comes from natural gas, nuclear, and coal. Arizona has no ethanol production capability and only 6 ethanol stations and 21 alternative energy fuel stations. For more on Arizona energy go to: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=AZ
Mitt Romney (Massachusetts) – The former Governor of Massachusetts has, until recently, played a reasoned moderate view on ANWR and oil exploration in America. Yet in the last year he has come out very much for it in his new presidential campaign. Mitt’s website states, “ We must become independent from foreign sources of oil.
… This will mean…finding more domestic sources of oil such as in ANWR or the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).” That coming from a state that supports the likes of Representative Markey, perhaps ANWR’s biggest foe, is saying something. Traditionally the northeast of America has been politically dead set against ANWR legislation. This seems highly hypocritical when one takes into account their tremendous reliance on petroleum and natural gas for their lives and lack of willingness or ability to utilize “renewable energies” such as solar or wind. Romney is very much for alternative energies including ethanol, wind and solar, reasoning that all avenues of energy formulation must be pursued to help wean us from foreign oil imports. Romney openly supported President Bush’s push for opening ANWR in 2005.
For more information on Romney visit: https://www.mittromney.com/Issue-Watch/Energy
Massachusetts has been heavily criticized for being anti oil & gas and pro-renewable energy so long as its not produced in their back yards as the Nantucket Sound wind turbine debacle shows us. Massachusetts produces no coal, no oil, and no natural gas yet is nearly completely reliant on those fuels for its entire energy needs. The state has a blanket boutique fuel mandate yet no bio-fuel gas stations nor produces any bio-fuels. The only fuel produced in Massachusetts comes from gas extraction from municipal waste dumps. Coal fired power plants supply 25% of the state’s electricity needs. The state has one nuclear power plant. For more information on Massachusetts’s energy see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=MA
Fred Thompson (TN) – The former senator of Tennessee Fred Thompson is a strong supporter of opening the 10-02 Area. Thompson has made becoming less dependent on Middle East oil a rallying cry in his campaign. He sees domestic exploration for oil and gas as an answer to this crisis. Thompson voted consistently during his term in office supporting ANWR legislation: voted YES on drilling ANWR on national security grounds. (Apr 2002), voted YES on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling. (Apr 2000)
Thompson is not a believer in man made global warming, stating Mars and Pluto have been heating up recently too but there
are no cars or oil industry there that we know of.
For more on Fred Thompson visit: http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx
Since Tennessee was Thompson's constituency during his term in office it will be covered in this profile. Tennessee is renowned for its hydroelectric scheme is big on the list of renewable energy producers. Despite this sixty percent of Tennessee's electricity is derived from coal. The remainder comes from nuclear (of which it is a prime energy producer), and hydro. Tennessee is the nation's top consumer of electricity by per capita residential use and is high in electrical industrial consumption. Tennessee produces a small amount of crude oil and coal. Most all crude oil is imported and refined in a single small refinery. About a third of the state uses natural gas as its prime heating source. Tennessee has one ethanol plant producing 1.2% of the nations output. For more on Tennessee energy see:
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=TN
Sen. Sam Brownback (Kansas) "… I also want to use our reserves of oil, and to drill in a very limited area in ANWR in Alaska, not more than 15 square miles”, says Brownback. Senator Brownback has represented Kansas in DC since 1996 and calls for America to be “energy secure” by use of bio (read corn) ethanol, coal, and oil and gas. Brownback has an excellent record on ANWR voting (and sponsoring legislation) consistently throughout his terms. He also supports OCS and has, in the past, submitted a bill for Gulf of Mexico exploration. He was the former Commission for Agriculture in Kansas and understands well the importance of having a secure domestic energy supply. Brownback very much argues to decrease oil and gas usage over time and puts an importance on finding an alternative to petroleum, particularly for the transport industry. Brownback is a skeptic on the manmade global warming theory and opposes caps on emissions. For more information on Brownback’s energy views visit: http://www.brownback.com/s/Issues/tabid/60/Default.aspx#Energy
Kansas is a corn state and is understandably big on ethanol with 8 production plants and 11 ethanol stations for transport. Kansas is also a major oil, gas, wind, methane, power producer. Two percent of America’s oil is produced in Kansas and nearly 2% of the nations refining capability is there too. Kansas serves as a transport hub for natural gas from Texas on its way to the east. A large amount of natural gas is produced locally to add to the import/exports. Coal methane gas is targeted for future production. Three quarters of all homes are heated with natural gas (less than 20 from electricity) and three quarters of State power is produced from coal. Very little coal is actually produced locally though. Just a tiny fraction of Kansas’ electricity comes from wind, hydro or renewables. For more on Kansas energy see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=KS
Congressman Tom Tancredo (Colorado) – One of the strongest supporters of ANWR outside Alaska, Congressman Tancredo has co-authored pro-ANWR legislation a number of times with Alaska’s Congressman Don Young. Tancredo has been very active in his home state as well as on the floor of the House promoting ANWR legislation and the benefits of domestically produced oil and gas. The congressman has met with natives from Kaktovik, Alaska (ANWR’s only settlement) in support of the ANWR issue. Congressman Tancredo also supports the continued research and development of alternative energy supplies stating, “supply (of oil) is limited” and “we should be actively looking for alternatives.” For more on Congressman Tancredo visit: http://teamtancredo.org/index.php
Colorado produces 1% of America’s oil supply and 5% of our natural gas supply. Colorado is full of shale oil (largely untapped) and coal bed methane. There are two refineries producing petroleum products and three refineries producing ethanol from various sources. Fourteen fuel stations statewide supply 12,000 hybrid vehicles. Colorado produces wind and hydropower in amounts much smaller than its potential. Less than 20% of houses use electricity to heat their homes. The state has no nuclear power. For more on Colorado energy see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CO
Congressman Duncan Hunter (California) – A staunch and consistent supporter of exploration in ANWR for his entire career, Congressman Hunter has met with Arctic Power staff and proved knowledgeable and supportive on the issue. He is a strong supporter of increasing our domestic production of oil and gas as well as fast tracking refinery construction. Despite not covering the energy or ANWR issue on his website you can read more about Congressman Hunter here: http://www.gohunter08.com/inner.asp?z=4
An in-depth interview with Congressman Hunter can be found here: http://rightwingnews.com/interviews/duncanhunter.php
California produces 1/10th of the nations crude oil. It also is the nation’s top refiner of petroleum mostly direct from Alaska (40% of California oil is imported from abroad). Despite this there is a permanent moratorium on offshore oil exploration. California produces fewer than 2% of the nation’s natural gas (less than 5% of its own needs). Half of the state’s electricity is derived from natural gas power plants. The State is the largest producer of renewable non-hydro power in the US boasting the world’s largest solar plant and numerous large wind farms. One fifth of its power comes from nuclear. A few small coal power plants are in operation. The state uses more ethanol than any other state for its blended fuels mandate. California imports more electricity than any other state, much of that from coal and oil fired sources. California boasts 3 ethanol and 464 alternative fueling stations.
For more on California energy see: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=CA
Alan Keyes ( Maryland ) Alan Keyes is a Harvard graduate, a former assistant Secretary of State, and former member of the National Security Council. Keyes has traveled the world representing America in many foreign countries and bodies including as the US Ambassador to UNESCO. Keys is very bullish on ANWR, “Yes I would (explore for oil/gas there)… we want to do it in a way that’s responsible-respecting ecological requirements and at the same time exploiting God’s precious resources for the good of our people. It’s also important because if we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it buys us time in order to make use of our ingenuity to develop alternative energy resources.” Keyes has maintained this position since his political career began, (two time Republican nominee in Maryland ’88 ‘92, for President in 1996 and 2000, and running against Obama in Illinois in 2004). Keyes is very conservative in his views and has a strong republican connection on all social and economic issues.
For more on Keyes and energy see: http://www.alankeyes.com/issues.php
Maryland is a small natural resource producer. Maryland produces no oil, or ethanol, a trickle of natural gas, and only a small amount of coal. Maryland has a large LNG plant processing imported natural gas. Maryland requires ethanol blended fuels in urban areas. Half of Maryland’s electricity comes from coal; a quarter from nuclear and the rest from oil and gas. The state uses alternative energies (primarily hydro) to supply 2% of its electricity needs.
With an 9 to 1 ratio of support the Republican candidates show just how polarized this issue has become. Despite ANWR being traditionally supported by a majority of the members of the House and Senate (both Ds and Rs), it has become more and more partisan throughout the years. Rather unfortunately this has been translated by the environmentalists, and to a large extent by the press, as being either for the environment or against it.
This situation has made it extremely difficult for a reasoned and rational argument to be heard. In the quest for sound bites and the 5-second digestible answer on the campaign trail candidates rarely have time to address the complexities of supply and demand of energy, or realities of production, transportation, distribution and usage of energy to support their positions. One fact that is consistently missed is the fact that oil produces a myriad of products we use everyday, not just gasoline or fuel. Those other products cannot be produced by any other energy source, which in this writer’s opinion makes the phrase “addicted to oil” seem out of touch. Oil, in our current society, is a necessity.
With the political makeup of Congress being as it is, it is vital that an ANWR supporting politician being voted into the Presidency. The opposite could very well see ANWR lock-up legislation be initiated and put through. We encourage all concerned to vote appropriately.