Senator Clinton has been the perceived front-runner in the Democratic primary since she entered the race. Although, even in New Hampshire where support among registered Democrats remains high for both her and the former President, the race is tightening as we approach the January 8th primary.

She has been to the Granite State on many occasions, and she has brought Bill with her on many of her trips. Her political campaign in NH is heavily populated with Democratic activists and party officials who supported her husband and now support her.

In May, I met Senator Clinton in Manchester and asked her about the role of clean energy in her Administration. Clinton said, “I want to invest in clean energy technologies, and to establish a national program to reduce global warming and increase our fuel efficiency.”

When I followed up with a question about energy independence, she answered instead about climate change, “The United States must be a leader in international efforts to address the problem of climate change.”

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Fred Thompson, A/K/A District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC’s Law & Order is truly a ‘Law and Order’ kind of guy. I don’t mean that he is a left-leaning humanitarian like his former L&O co-star Sam Waterston. Thompson is more the Law and Order in the Richard Nixon mold.

Thompson is better known for his 5 seasons on Law & Order than he is for his 8 years in the US Senate. It was an 8-year stint for Thompson as he finished 2 years on Al Gore’s term, when Gore resigned his seat to become Vice President. Thompson was elected to a full term in 1996. Thompson has acted in 2 dozen movies and countless televison shows. He has been married twice and is father to four children.

Thompson ‘toyed’ with the idea of running for President for several months during this summer. He finally announced his candidacy on September 5th on the Tonight Show. During the next few days after his announcement, Thompson went on an announcement tour that included 2 days in the Granite State. It was very opportune meeting him up here, as he has spent much less time in New Hampshire than has any other active candidate. I met him in Manchester at a small event.

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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is one of the ‘top tier’ candidates for the Republican nomination for President. Rudy served as Mayor from 1994 through 2001, distinguishing himself in the eyes of many Americans during the national crisis on September 11th. Giuliani had previously served in the Reagan White House, and also as a Public Prosecutor, and in the US Attorney’s Office.

On the campaign trail in New Hampshire, only next-door (Massachusetts) neighbor Mitt Romney has made more trips to New Hampshire than Giuliani has. Rudy has campaigned in every corner of our state.

I caught up with “America’s Mayor” in mid-June. I asked him about his plans to make America energy independent. Giuliani replied, “”Let’s get serious about energy independence. We need to put resources into ethanol production. We need to license more nuclear plants. Nuclear power is dangerous but so is every other form of power.” (Really? Wind power is dangerous???)

When I asked him about what forms of clean energy he favored, he seemed ambivalent – “We need to look into cleaning coal. Wind and solar energy today are just too inconsistent.”

While on the stump that day, Giuliani spoke about how energy independence was a critical component of our national security. He begrudgingly acknowledged that global warming is occurring and that we are probably exacerbating the problem but it is not a staple of his stump speech. While he doesn’t run from the topic when asked, he doesn’t offer it without provocation. 

So what are Giuliani’s plans for Energy Independence?

· He wants to expand domestic corn ethanol production; he believes that we should use bio-fuels to help displace foreign oil use in our vehicles. Corn and cellulosic ethanol, as well as bio-diesel should play a role. He believes that the bio-fuels industry can help revitalize rural America

· Giuliani wants to license more nuclear plants within the US and to relicense and modernize existing plants. To anyone worried about the safety of nuclear power, Giuliani said, “No one’s ever died from nuclear power in the United States” but that nuclear power needs to be produced safely.

· Giuliani also called for more clean-burning domestic natural gas;

· He has been promoting expanded drilling for domestic oil and natural gas, including drilling off of the coast of Florida and in ANWR;

· He believes that clean coal technology will help us become more energy independent. Carbon sequestration techniques are a priority for him. He stated that our abundant coal reserves may help wean us off polluting fossil fuels;

· Giuliani also supports the coal to fuel synthesis claiming it can be one of most “valuable contributors to our energy independence;”

· Giuliani is promoting Efficiency and Conservation. He has stated that America’s government, corporations, and individuals must engage in efficiency and conservation efforts that reduce demand for oil, without damaging America’s competitiveness worldwide or our standard of living. America needs to use more energy-efficient technologies and take personal responsibility for conserving energy.
With respect to climate change, Giuliani recognizes that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. He has said, “I do believe there’s global warming, yes. The big question has always been how much of it is happening because of natural climate changes and how much of it is happening because of human intervention. I think we have to accept the view that scientists have that there is global warming and that human operation, human condition, contributes to that.”

While he recognizes that climate change is a problem, he opposes mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions. He falls back on the old argument that “if China and India are not restricted, then our contribution will be minor.”  (Where is the leadership?)

Surprisingly, regarding Renewable Energy, Rudy said, “Renewable sources of electricity, including solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power, will play an important role in our move to energy independence.”

However, I do tend to take his comments on expansion of renewable energy with a grain of salt. The reason for that is because he is leading all of the presidential candidates, of both parties, in accepting contributions from people in the oil and gas industry, totaling over a half million dollars already! Not incidentally, his current law firm has represented such companies as Chevron Texaco, Enron, Duke Energy and Pacific Gas and Electric.

Based on current national polls, Rudy may very well wind up being the Republican nominee in 2008. The NH Republican primary voters just might not support Rudy if they keep the sage words of Stephen Stills, ringing in their ears,

“Don’t let the past remind us of what we are not now. I am not dreaming.”

Next Week: Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo

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Rudy Giuliani’s Presidential Campaign Website

Image Credit: Flickr - First in the Nation Forum, Manchester, NH

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes….

Senator Barack Obama is the junior US Senator representing the state of Illinois in the US Senate. He was elected to the Senate in 2004 and is serving in his first term. Previously, Obama had served as a 3-term Illinois state senator. Barack is married to his wife, Michelle, and they have two young daughters.

Obama, even as a freshman US Senator, is in the ‘top tier’ of Democratic candidates for President. He has visited New Hampshire more than 20 times, spending more than a month’s worth of time traveling across the Granite State. He has been virtually in every corner of this state bringing his messages of hope to Democratic and Independent voters here.

Obama’s reputation for delivering passionate speeches full of hope and promise is legendary. He is often compared to Senator Robert F. Kennedy for his ability to inspire and motivate those who hear him. But for all his inspirations and hope, Obama appears to be a man of great contradictions, at least as far as renewable energy issues are concerned.

I caught up with Senator Obama in mid May traveling through NH’s seacoast area. At a town hall meeting, I asked him, as I have asked all of the candidates, about his views on promoting clean energy. Obama’s response, “I have been leading the bipartisan effort to raise CAFÉ standards and to promote the development and use of hybrid cars.”  Well, raising CAFÉ standards is a good idea and hybrid cars are great but I really wanted some depth (and inspiration) from this man.

I followed up with my usual follow-up question about how can we make America more energy independent and he replied, “I am also working on a bipartisan effort to produce more clean coal.”  Not quite what I had hoped he would say. His candidacy and his campaign positions offer some opposing views.

Last month, Senator Obama unveiled details of an ambitious energy policy, right here in New Hampshire. Unlike in most of the presidential debates, clean energy is a real concern of the voters here, so announcing his plan in NH made sense.  Senator Obama supports:

* A Cap-and-Trade system that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. This seems to be the standard against which all ‘green’ candidates are being measured. Obama wants the emission permits to be auctioned rather than allocated, which would a lot of money that he wants dedicated to clean energy research and development.

* He supports a national renewable portfolio standard that would require 25% of US electricity to be generated from renewable sources by the year 2025.

* He supports huge and continued subsidies for corn-derived ethanol production, which would certainly help farmers in Illinois, but do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But, he does support expanded use and development of cellulosic biofuel production. 

* There is another issue that Obama has supported that has not won him many friends in the environmental and renewable energy communities. He strongly supports expanding and developing more ‘clean coal’ technologies. He also wants to invest in lower emission coal plants. Again, this would help southern Illinois coal producers, but at the expense of exacerbating greenhouse gas emissions.

* Obama has stated that, ”The U.S. is recognized as the global leader in understanding better geologic coal-sequestration technologies. If we abandon that leadership, we risk leaving the rest of the planet wide open to investing billions in polluting infrastructure.”

* He would support signing the Kyoto protocols to demonstrate American leadership in battling global warming. Obama would prefer a new international global warming partnership.

* As recently as the last Democratic debate (in Las Vegas) Obama reiterated his support, albeit lukewarm, for nuclear power. He reminds us that nuclear currently provides over 70 percent of our non-carbon generated electricity. But he does understand that there are significant safety and waste issues that are cause for real concern. Nonetheless, his support is undeterred because of our dependence on foreign fossil fuels.

* Obama wishes to invest $150 Billion over the next ten years to develop renewable energy technologies in the United States.

* Another courageous stand, that many candidates are not advocating, is conservation. Obama would like to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 35% by 2030.

* He is also promoting energy efficiency by making federal government buildings more energy efficient. His energy efficiency plans also call for the phasing out of traditional incandescent lightbulbs by 2014.

* Obama also wants the federal government to lead America in the use of clean energy. He wants 30 percent of the government’s electricity use to come from clean energy by 2020.

* Obama has authored or co-authored over 100 eco-friendly bills in the US Senate and promises this set of issues will have a prominent place in the Obama Administration. 

Senator Barack Obama is a man full of hope, promise, and complicated positions and beliefs. He is a compelling candidate, with some really strong environmental beliefs. But in his short political career, his positions on a variety of issues have changed, and so has he.

As David Bowie might sing, “Time may change me, But I can’t trace time…..”

Next week: Former NY City Mayor Rudy Giuliani

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It is extremely hard to find any politically uncommitted New Hampshire residents who have actually seen Duncan Hunter on the campaign trail – though it has been reported he has made 9 separate trips up here. It’s even harder to find someone who actually heard Duncan Hunter talk about clean energy or energy independence while he was here.

In early June, Hunter did attend a gathering of the New Hampshire State Republican Party in Manchester. I was able to ask him a question about making America energy independent. His response, “I support drilling offshore and in ANWR to reduce our dependence on hostile foreign sources. We need to increase our dependence on American oil. I would also support construction of more American oil refineries.”

I quickly followed it up with a question about if he felt that fossil fuels were exacerbating the global warming crisis. Hunter’s response, ”I have to leave now.” Perhaps he actually did have to leave. Or perhaps he thought I was one of those enviro-types! In any event, that was all that he said.

Not to be deterred, I searched Hunter’s official presidential campaign website for his positions on energy independence, and how he would combat global warming. I think the ‘Internet wasn’t working properly’ because no matter how hard I tried to find information on his website about those two topics, I couldn’t find them? I hunted, and hunted, and hunted – to no avail.

At a Republican candidates’ debate in New Hampshire, Hunter stated that we “should battle the problems of global warming and energy independence together” – which isn’t a bad idea! But where is Hunter’s plan for doing that?

The Republicans for Environmental Protection watchdog group, hardly a group of left-leaning environmental crazies, gave Hunter a rating of 13 (out of 100) for the year 2006. While that is an awfully low rating, it was a marked improvement over his 2005 rating of MINUS 4! The nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters issued Hunter the lowest possible environmental score for 2006; his lifetime rating from the LCV is just nine percent.

Even without a written energy plan or a plan to combat global warming, some people in New Hampshire are supporting Hunter. But how many? Well the recent NH polls all have Hunter at 1 to 2% or less. In fact, reviewing the Republican polls from 2006 forward, there were no polls in which his support in NH measured more than 2%.

I guess New Hampshire Republican voters are just ‘hunting” for someone else.

Next week: Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois

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Although many people believe that the former US Senator from Alaska, Mike Gravel, is running a Quixotic campaign for President, he is making his presence felt at every chance. While his colleagues have taken some jabs at the front runner, Gravel has leveled serious blows and he makes his views known whenever he is on the national stage.

Mike Gravel was the first Democrat to officially announce his candidacy for President, doing so in 2006. He has spent considerable time in the Granite State. He has traveled the state trying to drive up his name recognition. Unlike some other states, New Hampshire has always included Gravel in any of its sanctioned debates. But Gravel is barely registering in the polls at, generally, 1% or less. But he continues undaunted.

Mike Gravel served in the US Senate from 1969 to 1981 representing the state of Alaska. He was one of the most influential politicians of his time – an ardent opponent of the war in Vietnam and an outspoken critic of the Nixon Administration. He is the man who put the Pentagon Papers into the public arena by including them in the Congressional Record. Gravel also earned tremendous respect for leading a one-man filibuster against renewing the military draft. Gravel’s tactics put so much pressure on Nixon that a moratorium on renewing the draft was issued and the draft was finally ended. Gravel also fought against the use of nuclear weapons and against the use of nuclear power. He left the public eye in 1981 and only returned in the last few years. He and his wife, Whitney, live in Virginia.

I met up with the former Senator from Alaska at WMUR’s Conversations with a Candidate, in Manchester in April. I asked Gravel what were his plans for combating global warming. Gravel said, “I want to cap carbon emissions as a means to end global warming.” I followed with “How do you plan to make America energy independen?. The Senator said, “I want to employ a WPA-like national program to wean the US off of our dependence on fossil fuels.”

Gravel’s energy plan is unique in many respects, not the least of which is the centerpiece: a hydrogen-based fuel for the economy (more on that later). But some of Gravel’s energy positions are relatively more mainstream:

• Gravel will reduce America’s carbon footprint by passing legislation that caps emissions;
• He wants the United States to lead in the fight against global deforestation;
• Gravel wants the U.S. to lead a massive global scientific effort to end energy dependence on oil;
• Gravel will impose a carbon tax, much like Senator Chris Dodd has proposed, but with the major difference that he wants the US to work with other countries to do the same. The funds from this carbon tax will be pooled, and the resulting revenues will fund an international scientific and engineering effort to wean the world from fossil fuels within 10 years;
• Gravel feels that that the best way to solve the energy problem is to let prices rise so that alternative energies can become more competitively priced.
• He proposes a hydrogen liquid fuel for our cars – Gravel states, “One of the things we can do is take electricity from windmills, run it through water, and have hydrogen. And by altering the technology of our existing cars and gas stations, they can be used to run on and distribute hydrogen liquid. You’re not making hydrogen fuel cells; that technology is not on the table yet. You’re making liquid fuel from hydrogen. Meanwhile, we can just manufacture the hell out of windmills and then turn around and produce all this hydrogen.”
• Gravel wants to eliminate all of the coal-fired power plants and change then into hydrogen power plants.
• He wants the United States to ratify the Kyoto protocols and to aggressively accelerate the goals. He states, “many European countries are ahead of their targets while the US hasn’t even agreed to it.”
• Gravel strongly and ardently opposes the use of nuclear power. Gravel states, “If we can have large electrical base-load plants fed by hydrogen, then we don’t have to have the nuclear.”
• Gravel sees biofuels has counterproductive. “What I know about the corn deal, it takes more energy to produce a gallon of biofuel from corn than it does to just use conventional fuel, so that’s a negative. Secondly, we have to realize that when we’re growing this stuff, we may be displacing the whole distribution of food throughout the world.”

Mike Gravel may not wind up winning the Democratic primary in January, but the debate process is elevated by his candor, his courage, and his ideas.

Next week: Republican Congressman Duncan Hunter

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Republican Congressman Ron Paul has been a member of the US House sporadically since 1976. He served terms of 1976 to 1977, 1979 to 1985, and 1997 to present, always serving different Congressional districts of Texas. Paul is a licensed physician and practiced for a number of years before entering politics. He is married, and he and his wife, Carol Wells, have 5 children. Paul ran for President once before, as the Libertarian candidate in 1988. Interestingly, he ran as the Libertarian nominee while registered as a Republican.

Paul has not visited New Hampshire very often. In fact, only Fred Thompson, who entered the presidential race a month ago in September, has visited NH less often than Ron Paul. That may explain why Congressman Paul is mired at 3% in the most recent NH poll.

Paul visited WMUR-TV, Channel 9, and appeared on their popular Conversations with a Candidate program in February. I had the opportunity to ask Congressman Paul if he believed that global warming was a serious problem. His response, "I don’t think that the jury has fully come in on global warming. There is still a lot of debate on that subject."

Given that context, I followed up by asking Paul if he felt that we need to embrace clean energy. Paul’s response: "I am a Free Trader and I think that if Clean Energy were a viable option, it would be more economical in the marketplace."

My final question centered on how Paul felt we should deal with making America energy independent. Paul stated, "We should look at more domestic drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge and we should look at nuclear power as well as a short-term solution."

Paul’s positions, regrettably, are fairly predictable for this self-avowed free trader. Paul supports and believes as follows:

• He doesn’t believe that climate change is an important issue to voters. He has stated that some global warming may be occurring naturally and may not be caused by human beings.
• In a speech before the US House in 2006, Paul stated that "environmentalists go back and forth warning about a coming ice age to then arguing about the dangers of global warming. Fear is constantly generated by politicians to rally the support of the people."
• Paul has voted in favor of offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. He has also voted for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• Paul would end all subsidies of any kind to all energy companies, including oil companies.
• Paul would suspend the federal gasoline tax when retail gasoline prices hit $3 a gallon.
• Paul co-sponsored legislation that would fast track the federal approval process for oil refinery construction or expansion.
• Paul voted in 2001 against raising CAFÉ standards to 27.5 mpg for 2005 and 2006 cars and trucks.
• Paul supports expanding the use of domestic coal as a fuel source. "Technology is improving all the time and by using coal this might be something that can help the US become more energy independent."
  
• Paul opposes domestic subsidies for the corn industry to support ethanol.
• Paul opposes offering any federal subsidies to the energy technology sector, much like oil, gas and coal have received for many years. As a free market trader, Paul believes that the market will only support the best product at the best price. All subsidies should be stopped.
• Paul opposes a carbon tax. Paul believes that the carbon tax is like legalizing pollution.
• According to Paul, energy independence does not mean that the US has to produce every single ounce of energy used. Paul believes that independence means having no government-mandated policy. If you need oil or energy, you can simply buy it.
• Paul thinks nuclear is a great source of power for the future. Paul believes "…it’s the safest form of energy we have." (Seriously, he actually believes that!)

Paul’s positions are predictable for a free trader and Libertarian at heart, and so will be his finish in the New Hampshire Republican primary. It is highly unlikely that his views will garner double-digit support in the Granite State.

Stay tuned to see if NH voters have the common sense for which I am giving them credit.

Next week: Former Senator Mike Gravel, Democrat from Alaska

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Chris Dodd is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. He is a Democrat and was elected to the US House of Representatives as part of the "Watergate Freshman Class of 1974." He served in the House until 1980, when he was elected to the Senate. Dodd is married and he and his second wife, Jackie, have two young daughters. Dodd’s father, Thomas, was a 2-term US Senator from Connecticut as well.

Dodd has visited the Granite State on many occasions. His 39 days spent in New Hampshire (as of October 23rd) ranks him in 2nd place, just behind former Senator John Edwards, and just ahead of Governor Bill Richardson.

Dodd’s campaign was one of the first to announce a very comprehensive energy plan. His campaign highly touts the praise they received on his campaign website:

"Very creative" — Former Vice President Al Gore
"Ambitious …. Aggressive" — League of Conservation Voters
"Dodd gets it." — Former Senator Bill Bradley
"A serious policy …" — Senator John Kerry

Dodd came to Nashua, NH, back in April, to discuss this plan. I asked him for some highlights of this plan and he stated, "I am one of the only major candidates who has the courage to call for a carbon tax. I want this money to go into a fund to support renewable energy and cleaning the environment. Let the polluters pay."

This carbon tax proposal has encouraged much debate among the candidates. While Dodd fully supports a carbon tax, some candidates do not. The opponents of a carbon tax state that if one were instituted, consumers, ultimately, would wind up paying for it, through increased costs for the goods that they purchase. Dodd, however, is undeterred in his support for a corporate carbon tax trust fund, the proceeds from which would be used for research and development of renewable energy technologies. While most candidates oppose suggesting any new taxes on the campaign trail, Dodd feels that the American public can handle the truth, even when it will be unpopular.

Dodd further told me, "We absolutely need to expand our renewable capabilities and usage. I do not support expanding nuclear options, but I do want to encourage wind, water, solar and biofuels expansion."

Dodd is obviously unafraid to express his opinions about supporting renewable energy (which is the majority position of all of the Democratic candidates) but he seems to have mixed feelings about his very limited support for nuclear power. He is careful to state that while it should be an option to reduce global warming, he has great concerns about nuclear waste, and he hopes that technology may provide an answer to its safe disposal.

I also asked Dodd if he would support SmartPower’s "20% by 2010"^SM program for the US government. The SmartPower program assists municipalities and organizations to commit to purchase 20% of their electricity needs from clean and renewable sources, such as wind, solar, and small hydro, by the year 2010. That was an idea that Dodd likes; he says he wants all US government offices to use clean energy for all their needs. In fact, Dodd now proposes that the United States get 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

Dodd also strongly supports a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 80% from 1990 levels by the year 2050, which is the amount that most scientists agree is necessary to begin to reverse the effects of global warming.

Dodd’s energy plan combines his carbon tax with a cap-and-trade program and significantly higher CAFÉ standards — Dodd proposes a 50 MPG for new cars and trucks by 2017.

But Dodd doesn’t support every new energy technology. He opposes coal liquification technology. Dodd has stated that turning coal into liquid fuel does not reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, and it works against the overall goal of fighting global climate change.

Dodd’s energy plan requires any and all new coal plants to capture and sequester CO2 without any exceptions or exclusions.

He does encourage government support for ethanol, cellulosic ethanol and other similar types of biofuels. In fact Dodd would require that new federal automobile fleets be run on E85 ethanol or other biofuels.

Dodd also would sign the Kyoto protocol because he believes that even without China’s and India’s agreement and cooperation, the United States should lead the world in fighting greenhouse gas emissions.

Finally, Dodd opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Whether you agree or disagree with the elements of Dodd’s energy plan, you have to admit it is bold and aggressive. Whether it attracts enough support in New Hampshire to catapult Dodd into the top tier of candidates in the next few months remains to be seen. Keep watching!

Next week: Republican Congressman Ron Paul

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Senator Chris Dodd’s Presidential Campaign Website

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In the early 1950s, Detroit owned the automotive world. Cars were big, heavy, and fast! They had huge, monstrously powerful gas-guzzling engines. A visionary auto executive at the nearly bankrupt American Motors Corporation came up with an idea. He created the unthinkable — a compact American car. That visionary executive was George Romney and he coined the phrase "gas guzzling dinosaur." Romney became extremely successful and helped Rambler sell millions of cars. He then entered politics, became the Governor of Michigan and ran for President, unsuccessfully, in 1968

Fast forward about half a century — one of the sons of George Romney becomes governor of Massachusetts. Willard "Mitt" Romney serves one term as governor. But like his father before him, he holds higher aspirations.

In February of this year, Romney formally announced his candidacy for President. Given that he is no longer serving as governor, and that he has homes in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Romney has made more visits to New Hampshire than any other Republican candidate. Does familiarity breed contempt, as the old adage advises? Apparently not! In a recent NH poll, Romney garnered 27% of the Republican vote, to Rudy Giuliani’s 21% and John McCain’s 17%.

In April, Romney visited the border town of Salem, and I had an opportunity to ask him how, as President, he would make America energy independent. Romney stated, "America is too dependent on foreign oil." That statement is unarguable!

Romney continued, "We can use alternative sources of power. I support increasing our use of biodiesel, nuclear power and ethanol." Choosing his words carefully, Romney sandwiched his support for nuclear power between biodiesel and ethanol. I guess he thinks either we didn’t notice that, or that he thinks that by somehow associating nuclear power with biodiesel and ethanol, that makes it more palatable.

Romney concluded with, "We should also drill for more domestic oil in the Continental Shelf and in Alaska. Combine that with improving our energy efficiency and we will no longer be dependent on countries that are potentially hostile to us." Encouraging America to drill in ANWR seems to be part of all of the Republican candidates mantras. Seemingly to offend environmentalists everywhere, Romney also chose to include drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf as well. But his plea for energy efficiency is one that more candidates should embrace.

Digging deeper into Romney’s energy plans, we searched his website. What we found didn’t make us feel all "warm and fuzzy":

• Romney believes that coal is an important element of our future energy mix. He is hoping that "hybrid concepts," such as combining combustion and gasification of coal, will produce even cleaner and more efficient power generation.

• He wants America to invest in research and development of power generation and fuel technology.

• When asked if he supports increased CAFÉ standards, Romney demurred to pressure from his birth state of Michigan and opposed "raising CAFÉ standards on their own." However, he left open the door for support of raising these standards if they are "part of a broader energy plan."

What is missing from Romney’s so-called energy plan is a little thing called substance.

• What are his views on Cap-and-Trade?
• What about Carbon Sequestration?
• Does he believe that global warming is a serious issue?

There are more questions about Romney’s plans for making America energy independent than there are answers. While George Romney was a visionary leader but a failed politician, it appears that his son, Mitt, prefers to be a successful in politics and vision be damned!

Next week: Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut

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The above reference is just jealousy on my part for not being able to afford a $400 haircut like a certain former Senator can afford.

Former Senator John Edwards is from North Carolina and has, essentially, been running for President since the presidential election of 2004 ended. Edwards has visited New Hampshire more than any other Democrat, having made 24 separate trips, totaling 40 days. Obviously, that is one benefit of not currently holding public office.

Edwards was a one-term US Senator from North Carolina. His term ended in 2004, when he was the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and he decided not to run for re-election to the Senate. Edwards is married to his wildly popular (and outspoken!) wife, Elizabeth, and they have three children.

Back in February, Edwards came to my hometown and at a neighbor’s house party made the following statement to me in response to my question about making America energy independent, "Along with the war in Iraq and affordable healthcare, renewable energy and global warming are the three main issues of this campaign. We need to start making some real sacrifices to deal with that problem. We must end our dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels. We need to greatly expand our use of clean energy."

Edwards was the first candidate in this race to have put a comprehensive energy and environmental plan on paper. While on the stump in New Hampshire, his energy mantra has been, "Our generation must be the one that says, we must halt global warming. Our generation must be the one that says "Yes" to renewable fuels and ends forever our dependence on foreign oil. And our generation must be the one that builds the new energy economy. It won’t be easy, but it is time to ask the American people to be patriotic about something other than war."

All of what he has been saying since Day One about energy independence and protecting our environment has been resonating with Democratic voters in the Granite State, who are focusing on these issues. Lets look deeper at what Edwards is proposing:

• Halt global warming by instituting a cap-and -trade system to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
• Create a new energy economy by investing in clean, renewable energy.
• Meet the demand for new electricity during the next decade by increasing energy efficiency methods, instead of producing more power.
• Cap greenhouse gases at levels that the latest climate science has determined to be necessary to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. Edwards wants to reduce greenhouse pollution by 20 percent by 2020, and reduce it by 80 percent by 2050.
• Create a new Global Climate Change Treaty.
• Expand renewable energy. While it is socially desirable to use clean energy, it is also costly. Wind is already competitive with conventional sources in many markets. Solar could be competitive within three to eight years.
• Power companies should be required to generate 25 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2025.
• Coal is an important source of U.S. and global electricity, but it is responsible for more than 30 percent of America’s carbon dioxide emissions. America needs to invest $1 billion a year to research ways to burn coal cleanly and recycle its carbon underground permanently.
• We must reduce oil imports by 7.5 million barrels a day by 2025 to get us on the path toward energy independence.
• We must open up the electric grid to innovation, so Edwards proposes a $5,000 tax credit for homes and small businesses that invest in onsite generation of renewable energy like solar, wind, and geothermal power.
• Electricity use is projected to increase by 1.5 percent a year between 2008 and 2018, on average. He calls for a national goal of meeting this demand by getting more power out of the electricity we use now, instead of producing more electricity.
• He wants to reduce the U.S. government’s use of energy by 20 percent, and expand the government’s use of renewable sources.
• Edwards will create a Green Corps within AmeriCorps to create opportunities for them to help Americans with saving energy.

Edwards has an energy plan that has some good positions but there are some glaring omissions. Edwards’ new coal plants do not have to sequester greenhouse gas emissions, they just have to be compatible with plants that do. This means that the reality is a "new" Edwards’ coal plant could still emit 80% as much CO2 as one of the present coal plants, so where is the benefit?

While at Dartmouth in August, Edwards stated that when he is president, "we will avoid mistakes like liquid coal and nuclear power." But does that mean he would forbid new nuclear plants from being built? Does that mean he would relicense existing plants? What, exactly, does that mean?

The most recent American Research Group (ARG) New Hampshire poll showed Clinton at 41%; Obama is 2nd with 22%; Edwards is a distant 3rd at 10% with Richardson right on his heels at 8%. It seems like his campaign isn’t really gaining traction in New Hampshire.

Perhaps it’s just a bad hair day for John!

Next week…. Former Republican Governor Mitt Romney

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Edwards for President

Image Credit: John Edwards in Nashua, NH - Flickr

American Research Group NH Presidential Poll

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Mike Garofalo’s Previous "Power to the People" Columns

John McCain is a long-serving United States Senator representing the state of Arizona. McCain was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 1982 and served two terms. He was then elected to the US Senate in 1986. He and his second wife, Cindy, live in Phoenix. He has seven children and four grandchildren.

McCain is a man of great contradictions. On one hand, he gained great national admiration as a heroic prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. McCain spent 5 ½ years in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. On the other hand, he was one of the "Keating Five" – the five US Senators who were accused of impropriety for attempting to influence federal regulators in favor of Lincoln Savings and Loan in the 1980s.

McCain is no stranger to New Hampshire. He has made more trips to NH than any other Republican candidate, except the former Governor from next door (Massachusetts), Mitt Romney. In the 2000 NH Presidential Primary, McCain stunned then-Texas Governor, George W. Bush, 49-30%, and he made many long-lasting friendships that he has rekindled today.

In March of this year, McCain visited WMUR-TV and participated in the Conversations with a Candidate program. During the program, I asked him about his energy plans for America. McCain said, "Global Warming is a huge problem and we must do something about it now. We need to become more energy self-sufficient and that means more fuel-efficient cars and conserving electricity." — Those are words that any thinking American could support!

When he was pressed further by me as to how he would accomplish making America more energy self-sufficient, McCain stated, "It may also mean we have to drill for more domestic oil, look at nuclear power, as well as exploring all types of renewable options such as wind, solar, biomass and ethanol." — He ended that sentence well, but the drilling and nuclear power, while expected, were still troubling.

McCain’s presidential campaign website states: "John McCain has a proud record of common sense stewardship. Along with his commitment to clean air and water, and to conserving open space, he has been a leader on the issue of global warming with the courage to call the nation to action on an issue we can no longer afford to ignore."

A video on McCain’s website compares McCain to the "great environmentalists presidents" — Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan. Okay, TR I can understand. They guy was a hunter, an avid outdoorsman, and he set aside more land for the National Parks system than all his predecessors combined. But Ronald Reagan? This was the man who had James Watt as his Secretary of the Interior, and during his 1980 campaign, Reagan blamed trees for emitting 93 percent of the nation’s nitrogen oxide pollution — giving rise to jokes about "killer trees." Reagan was not an environmentalist! It appears that McCain is trying to coddle the "Reagan Republican" base.

McCain also stated that there may come a "tipping point" on our environment, when we cannot reverse the effects of global warming, but we "aren’t there yet." He also stated that we should not participate in the Kyoto Treaty, "unless China and India also join." Senator McCain also believes:

• "I am very confident that Republican voters care about climate change. I am the greenest Republican in the presidential race."
• "Ignoring the problem of global warming reflects a liberal, live for today attitude unworthy of our great country." – I didn’t realize that liberals love global warming!

McCain’s other environmental and energy stands are:

• He supports a cap-and-trade system for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.
• He opposes a carbon tax.
• He was a strong critic of ethanol and the public subsidies that it receives. Now he supports ethanol – but still opposes subsidies. He now jokes on the campaign stump, "I always have a glass of ethanol before breakfast every morning."
• He is a strong proponent of nuclear power as a way to generate electricity without producing greenhouse-gas emissions. His 2007 Climate Proposal would take some of the money raised under his proposed cap-and-trade auctions and make it available for loans for new nuclear power plants. At the NH Republican debate in June, McCain said, "Nuclear power is safe, nuclear power is green. It does not emit greenhouse gases."
• He supports public-private partnerships to develop high-tech systems for coal gasification and carbon sequestration.
• He has opposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
• He has been highly critical of the Bush administration’s lack of action against global warming.
• He voted against a renewable portfolio standard that would have required the U.S. to get 10 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

I will leave you with a quote from musician Chuck Berry, from his song "Johnny B Goode:

Way back up on the woods among the evergreens,
There stood an old cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode.

Go Go Johnny!

Next week: Democratic Senator John Edwards

SmartPower

John McCain for President Exploratory Campaign Website

Photo Credit: McCain at the June 2007 NH Republican Candidate Debate: Time Magazine

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Mike Garofalo’s previous "Power to the People" columns

Ok, so I stole the title of this article from a song from that wildly popular Canadian pop group "The Poppy Family." It was a huge hit way, way, way back in 1969. But it truly does apply to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s 2008 presidential campaign. The messages from his energy plan seem to be going in many different directions.

Let’s look at his extremely impressive resume! Richardson is the current Governor of New Mexico, a job that he has held since 2003. But he has also been:

• 7-Term US Congressman from New Mexico
• United Nations Ambassador, appointed by President Clinton
• Secretary of Energy, under President Clinton
• Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association
• Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 4 Times
• Brokered a cease-fire in Darfur
• Negotiated the release of hostages and political prisoners in Iraq, North Korea and Cuba
• Invented a chewing gum that will never lose its flavor

Ok, I made that last one up! But that resume is incredibly impressive. Richardson was born in California, but spent most of his childhood in Mexico City. As a teenager, he came back to the United States and went to school in the Boston area. He graduated from Tufts University and married his high school sweetheart Barbara Flavin.

Richardson has visited New Hampshire many times as a presidential candidate. He is a strong supporter of New Hampshire remaining as the first primary state. He has attended many events and was the first candidate to be interviewed on the SmartPower blog back in May about his energy plans.

On our blog, we asked Governor Richardson a series of questions about clean energy and the role it would play in a Richardson Administration. The main thrust for Richardson is that he has a huge plan for clean energy: "I want to initiate an Apollo-like program where in 10 years we have shifted 65% of our demand away from fossil fuels and towards renewables." That’s impressive!

We then asked Governor Richardson what he felt we should strive for with respect to reducing greenhouse gases: "We should reduce greenhouse gases by 90% by the year 2050." That is even higher than most experts have demanded — that is very good!

What would a Richardson Administration mandate the federal government to do about using clean energy? "I believe that the federal government should lead by example. I would issue an Executive Order that mandates a percentage of fleet vehicles be powered by natural gas. I believe that all future federal buildings should be ‘green.’ The government should use 20% clean energy to meet its energy needs by the year 2010." — He knows this drill!

Do you support or oppose a Carbon Tax? "I oppose a Carbon Tax. It will simply be passed on to the consumers. It doesn’t do the job. I am against a Carbon Tax." — there are mixed opinions about the validity of that tax, but his position is valid.

Finally, what role would nuclear power play in a Richardson Administration? "Well, I think nuclear has to be allowed to compete. But we do need to be able to resolve the waste issue. Perhaps technology is the answer. But it has to compete with other fuel sources."— Oh, NO! Not you Governor! Say it ain’t so!

Well, no one is perfect.

But Governor Richardson is also promoting:

• A North American Energy Council, with Canada and Mexico, that would encourage oil from those friendly sources as opposed to nations that oppose us.
• Detroit should get a 100 mpg car into the marketplace
• A National Renewable Portfolio Standard of 30% by 2020
• Support for "clean coal," but the Governor is not a fan of liquefied coal.

Overall, Richardsons energy plans are mostly positive. He shows true leadership in setting aggressive reduction targets and in promoting renewable energy sources. But his support for both clean coal and for nuclear power are troubling.

No matter "which way Billy is going," there is no dobt in my mind that many green voters will be going too!

Next week ….. Republican Senator John McCain

SmartPower - the national non profit marketing organization that is leading the creation of a voluntary market for clean energy.

SmartPower Blog on Bill Richardson

Richardson for President

Image of Bill Richardson and the author holding a Clean Energy Lets Make More Magnet - Author.

Let me give you a little background on Brownback. He is a Republican United States Senator from the Sunflower State. He is currently completing his second term, which expires in 2008. An attorney by profession, Brownback served one term as a Congressman from 1994 to 1996. In 1996, he ran for the open US Senate seat that was being vacated by Bob Dole, who left, coincidentally, in order to run for President. Brownback won that race and was reelected in 2002. He is married to Mary Stauffer, and they have five children.

As so many other candidates have done, Brownback has made several treks to the state of New Hampshire. A right of passage for these candidates occurs when they visit New Hampshire’s WMUR-TV and appear on the Conversation with a Candidate television program. In March, Brownback went before WMUR’s cameras, and when questioned by this writer about clean energy, he stated the following points:

• "I am from Kansas, a corn-growing state." (OK, I get that)
• "Wouldn’t you rather be dependent on the Midwest rather than the Middle East for your energy?" (Wow! What a great sound-bite line! Can’t you hear that on the nightly news being replayed over and over again? Masterful!)
• "I support using renewable energy in the US." (Hmmm … maybe this guy ‘gets’ it!)
• "But 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." (Uh oh! He doesn’t get it!)
• "We also need to at least consider nuclear power." (Well, he didn’t surprise me after all. Unfortunately!)

I didn’t get to ask a follow-up question to Brownback at WMUR, but my question did allow for a great piece of ‘theatre’ for him. When I asked him my question about clean energy, he reached into the pocket of his suit jacket. Before answering, he pulled a piece of brown cloth out and handed it to me. He asked me if I knew what the soft and stretchy material was. I wasn’t 100% certain, but I had an idea where this was going. Ethanol? Yes! It was made from a by-product of the ethanol-making process. It seemed soft and pliable, yet stretchy and strong. He smiled after seeing the look of amazement from some of the folks in the studio audience. He was definitely ‘playing to the camera’ on this one. But he didn’t respond, however, to a later question about corn subsidies and how they affect the price of ethanol.

While I will not comment on Brownback’s positions on a variety of other issues, let’s discuss the important issues for those of us concerned about energy and environmental issues:

• Republicans for Environmental Protection criticized Brownback for his support for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife refuge. They criticized his support for drilling in the eastern waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Finally, they also criticized him for his opposition to a bill that promoted energy-efficiency and renewable energy.
• Brownback says that we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, as long as it "doesn’t kill the economy."
• Regarding a cap-and-trade system, Brownback says, "I’m not at the point yet where I’ve been able to say the cap-and-trade system would be effective without substantially harming the economy, and that it would create a substantial reduction of CO2.
• His campaign website devotes a grand total of seven whole sentences to the topic of Energy, as follows:

Due to years of neglect and short-sighted domestic policies, America is on the verge of an energy crisis. Our supply of energy has not kept pace with our demand. Today our nation produces 39% less oil than we did in 1970. This leaves us dependent on foreign suppliers, who often do not have America’s best interests at heart. This Congress, I co-sponsored the Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy (DRIVE) Act. This bill aims to reduce our oil consumption by 2.5 million barrels per day in ten years by taking an innovative, market-based approach that relies on advanced technology and an expansion of renewable fuels. I will continue to fight for energy independence."

Brownback is as he bills himself: Principled, Conservative, Republican. But his energy and environmental plans seem, to me at least, to be thin, predictable, and small in scope and stature.

We may not be in Kansas anymore, but an energy plan from Oz wont solve our nation’s energy needs either.

Next week…… Democratic Governor Bill Richardson!

Sources:

SmartPower - a national, non-profit marketing organization leading the creation of a vibrant market for clean energy and energy efficiency.

Brownback for President - Official Campaign Website

Image Source: Official Senate Website

Dennis Kucinich is the candidate who is, ostensibly, to the left, of all the other 18 candidates officially in the race to be the next President of the United States.

Given that context, I wondered:

• How will his environmental beliefs resonate with mainstream America?
• What are his views about renewable energy?
• Does he have a realistic plan for energy independence for America?

Let’s explore the answers to those questions.

First, a short bio. Dennis Kucinich is a Democratic Congressman representing Ohio’s 10th Congressional District (a/k/a Cleveland). He is in his 6th term, having been elected in 1996. He previously served as Mayor of Cleveland and was the youngest mayor of a major American city when he was elected at age 31. Kucinich is married to a British citizen, Elizabeth Harper, and he has a daughter from a previous marriage. Kucinich first ran for President in 2004. While he did not win any primary contests, he did win 40 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Fast forward to December 11, 2006. Kucinich announced his intention to run for the Democratic Nomination in 2008.

So like all candidates running for President, Kucinich visited New Hampshire to meet with voters and to share his views and plans for America. In April of this year, Kucinich came to New Hampshire and was interviewed by ‘uncommitted New Hampshire voters’ at the WMUR-TV ‘Conversation with a Candidate’ television program. Questioned by this writer about clean energy, Kucinich stated, “I am a true environmentalist. In 2003, I put forth a national plan for the United States to use 20% Clean Energy by the year 2010. I strongly support any and all genuine and truly renewable non-polluting forms of energy.” Ok, so far, so good!

While the format at WMUR-TV did not actually allow for in-depth follow up questions, I did get the opportunity to interview the Congressman, in August, at his campaign headquarters in Dover, NH. There, in the presence of his wife, he gave me a lengthy and detailed audio interview for the SmartPower blog.

While Kucinich appears to be a mild-mannered man, his passion for the environment is evident and very strong. When I asked him the role that clean energy would play in his administration his answer was direct – “Clean energy will play the central role in my energy plan! How will that happen? I plan to create a Works Green Administration, which will bring clean energy to America. We will have millions of wind and solar technologies that will be retrofitted onto American homes so that everyone can produce clean energy! We will create millions of new jobs not only building these wind and solar technology applications but also installing them."

Kucinich also wants NASA to have a role in developing the clean energy technologies of the future. He favors wind and solar over all other types of renewables. And he is looking towards fuel cells to power our cars in the future. Kucinich believes that all the talk by his Democratic opponents about ‘carbon taxes’ and ‘cap and trade systems’ is just tinkering around the edges. Kucinich wants real sustainability by using real clean energy.

With respect to nuclear energy, Kucinich is adamant that it must be phased out. He has followed the nuclear movement since its infancy. The Cleveland area in the 1960’s and 1970’s was heavily involved in the forefront of the marketing of nuclear energy as a viable energy source for our future. But massive cost overruns to build these plants, their safety concerns, and the inevitable issue of nuclear waste all have to be addressed. Nuclear was sold to the American people as “energy to cheap to meter – but the reality has been it’s energy that’s too expensive to use.”

Kucinich favors a ‘Global Green Deal’ which is a plan that would have the United States lead the world in the creation and production of renewable energy and we would partner with developing countries to promote renewable energy within their borders as well.

Kucinich opposes further exploration for oil or other fossil fuels and feels that renewable energy forms can meet all of our future energy needs, but that conservation will play a major role in getting us energy independent.

His energy and environmental plans seem viable, well thought out, and, dare I say it, revolutionary! Kucinich is a very interesting candidate. He is worth a look!

Next week…… Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas!

SmartPower

SmartPower Blog on Dennis Kucinich

Kucinich for President

…. with apologies to a similar sounding movie title, I did attend an event at which Mike Huckabee was the guest speaker. Back in March, former Republican Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, was interviewed by WMUR-TV in Manchester, NH. ‘Channel 9,’ as it is affectionately known, is the only statewide television station in New Hampshire and it is taking advantage of our lead-off spot in the Presidential Primary process by interviewing all of the presidential candidates.

Okay, well we are the first primary state as of today, but that is certainly subject to change. With all of the states jockeying for position and wanting to leap-frog over other states, New Hampshire is zealously guarding it’s ‘Number One’ status. In fact, NH Secretary of State Bill Gardner has stated that "New Hampshire state law mandates that New Hampshire’s primary shall come first and that is what I am going to do." If other states keep moving the process up, we may wind up having our primary in about two weeks! Maybe that’s an exaggeration, but not much of one.

Anyway, Governor Huckabee came to New Hampshire to discuss his presidential campaign, and to educate the voters of the Granite State who seemed to know very little about this former Governor. Regardless of where you stand politically, after you meet him, you have to admit that Huckabee is a very interesting guy. If elected, he would be the second US President from the small town of Hope, Arkansas. Yes, William Jefferson Clinton was the first US President from Hope – population just over 10,000. Admittedly, Huckabee is a bit of a long-shot, but then again so was Clinton in 1991!

Huckabee served as Governor for ten years, and is well-known as a social conservative. He garnered fame beyond politics by losing a whopping 110 pounds through a strict diet and exercise regimen. He went from huffing and puffing while trying to walk up the steps of the State Capital to running in marathons.

He is engaging and articulate and argues his positions well. But where does he stand on clean energy and making America energy independent? Well, I wandered over to his website to see if any additional information was available beyond his answer to my direct questions to him.

His exploratory campaign website has a section called ‘Issues’ and I opened the ‘Energy Independence’ tab. While I was interested in reading it, I thought that it was light on specifics. Huckabee’s plan on his website is short on specifics, but some of what I see raises lots of red flags with me

The highlights are:

• The first thing he will do as President will be to send Congress a comprehensive energy plan – (so far so good);
• He wants us all to conserve;
• He wants to expand exploration (hmmmm);
• He wants us to pursue all avenues of alternative energy:

• Wind
• Solar
• Hydrogen
• Biodiesel
• Biomass
• Clean coal (ouch!)
• And, of course, (here it comes) nuclear!

He does make a valid point that with 6 million flex-fuel vehicles on the road, of all the pumps at the over 170,000 filling stations nationwide, there are only 2,000 gas pumps that can actually dispense E-85 ethanol. And let’s not even talk about the corn subsidies that help the price of ethanol remain at an artificially low levels.

At the ‘Conversations with a Candidate’ program, I asked Huckabee how would America become more energy independent in a Huckabee administration. He responded, "America needs to become more energy self-sufficient. We have to explore all types of energy options such as wind, solar, hydro, biomass, ethanol and, as Europe is doing, we really do need to look at small nuclear."

When I asked him how he would deal with nuclear waste and the enormous cost to build a nuclear plant, he said that technology may hold the answer to the waste, and building smaller nuclear plants will significantly reduce the costs. When he reiterated that "Europe is doing it," I reminded him that Europe also uses much more wind and solar than we do and, perhaps, that might be a better course to follow.

Overall, Huckabee is likable but he seems to be a contradictory candidate. He is extremely conservative on some issues, yet broadly, dare I say, liberal on others. But that is a dangerous game to play. His efforts to be all things to all voters may mean that he actually appeases none of them.

Next week…. Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich!

SmartPower

Mike Huckabee for President

Image source: WMUR-TV ‘Conversations with a Candidate’

Editor’s note: We’re very happy to welcome Mike Garofalo and SmartPower to GO! Every Wednesday, Mike’s "Power to the People" column will look at the energy proposals of the declared candidates for President of the United States.

Hello GO Community! My name is Mike Garofalo and I am the Communications Director for SmartPower, a national non-profit marketing organization that promotes clean energy use all across the United States. In the last five years we have helped more than 20,000 homeowners commit to buying clean energy. We have also taught them that clean energy is just as reliable as any other type of energy. That is our mission and so far 80 municipalities in three states have committed to our "20% by 2010" (sm) campaign.

The terrific folks at Green Options graciously invited me to share with you a weekly blog about what the presidential candidates, who are campaigning up here in New Hampshire, are saying about clean energy and energy independence. Now if you have never been to New Hampshire during a presidential primary, you are truly missing something special. The NH Presidential Primary is not won with slick ads and expensive marketing campaigns. It is won by campaigning in coffee shops, town halls, and in your neighbor’s living room. Each week, we will take a look at a different candidate, both Democrats and Republicans, and I will report to you exactly how they answered my questions about clean energy and energy independence.

Early in the campaign season, US Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) came to NH and held town hall meetings at both Dartmouth College in Hanover, and at New England College in Henniker. Town hall meetings are very popular here. They give the candidate an opportunity to answer a wide variety of questions and it gives "average citizens" an opportunity to see the candidates in a more formal setting than in someone’s living room.

Although Biden was here to discuss his plans for getting US troops out of Iraq, he did take questions on a limited number of other topics. Being that this is my 10th NH Presidential Primary season (Yikes!), I am pretty adept at asking candidates about topics other than what they may want to talk about.

During the meeting, I asked Biden what his plans were for making America energy independent, should he get elected. Biden said, "Our dependence on fossil fuels is ruining our environment. In 2005 Senator Dick Lugar and I co-sponsored a bipartisan Senate Resolution calling on the United States to return to international negotiations on climate change. I think that we can strengthen our national security by reducing our oil consumption." I was able to ask a follow-up – ok, the trick to doing that is to remain standing while the candidate answers your first question. Under no circumstances should you simply nod and sit back down, which is exactly what they want you to do. I asked Biden what role clean, renewable energy would play in a Biden Administration. He said, "We should immediately be transitioning to farm-grown fuels like ethanol and dramatically increasing our use of renewable energy – wind, water and solar. That is what my administration would encourage."

Like virtually every candidate, Biden’s campaign has issued a comprehensive energy plan and has specific plans on how to deal with climate change. His plan, strangely, is ‘heavy’ on fuel requirements and ‘light’ on plans for renewable energy.

Some of the highlights of his energy plan are:

• Increasing CAFÉ standards to 40 mpg by 2017
• Invest in lithium ion battery technology for plug-in hybrids
• Require new vehicles be flex-fuel vehicles
• Require gas stations to sell alternative fuels
• Increase the amount of farm-grown fuel in our fuel supply
• Commit $5B into research on new alternative fuels
• Set a National Renewable Portfolio Standard of 20%
• Require federal government to purchase 10% clean energy by 2010 and 20% by 2020
• Make federal buildings more energy efficiency
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050
• Restore US leadership on climate change.

Biden’s campaign is seemingly ‘stalled’ here in NH. Consequently, hehas made 23 visits this year
to Iowa, and only 8 visits to NH. His only statewide campaign office is headquartered in the IBEW hall in the capital city of Concord.

Perhaps Senator Joe is just "Biden his time!"

SmartPower
Joe Biden for President: Energy

Image source: Joe Biden’s Photos at Flickr