Obama's Plan to bankrupt the Coal Industry

[Irish Hills Farm]

Gateway Pundit posts the audio and a transcript from a January 2008 San Francisco Chronicle/Gate interview in which Barack Obama said twice that he will bankrupt coal plants with heavy fees for emitting greenhouse gases:

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It’s just that it will bankrupt them.”

Source: http://patterico.com/2008/11/02/obamas-pla...-coal-industry/

"You know, when I was asked earlier about the issue of coal, uh, you know — Under my plan of a cap and trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. Because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal power plants, you know, natural gas, you name it — whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, uh, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers."

Source: http://hotair.com/archives/2008/11/02/obam...ices-skyrocket/

So, we'll do away with one source of energy before other sources are properly established? And in the meantime pay higher energy costs. Nice.

And how long before all the coal miners are out of work? Or should we not be concerned because of Obama's share the wealth?

 

[Bassett]

We must be watching the same station. Boy sure shocked that one Obama supporter. Didn't it? He couldn't believe it. Thanks for posting. I know we can't change anyones mine and I wouldn't try to but the more that is seen about him maybe the undecideds will do what is the best for our country.

 

[Jill]

There's so much out there, and more all the time, that just screams BEWARE when it comes to Obama

 

[loveminis]

Burning coal is antiquated !! It is HORRIBLE for our air. It's dangerous for the workers. We so need to turn to wind and solar energy instread.

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

No one is saying burning coal isn't creating problems. But you don't bankrupt the industry, put people out of work, etc. until you have other sources of energy in place. OH and let's not forget about raising the cost of that energy, skyrocketing the cost of energy, as Obama put it. I guess we all know how everyone will be spending that supposed tax refund/break, on energy costs.

 

[Cathy_H]

from the same interview via Hot Air: Obama knows “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket” from his plans.Jake Tapper provides a lengthier transcript where Obama says eliminating coal is an illusion.

So, we'll do away with one source of energy before other sources are properly established? And in the meantime pay higher energy costs. Nice

............... Exactly - most of us would love cleaner cheaper energy sources but good grief man - wait until we at least have a reliable source up and running... I hope there are enough "Joes" out there to share their wealth because we are going to be standing in line with him.
Sheryl, All will be fine though because the messiah Barack Hussein Obama will take care of us because Louis Farrakhan said it.

"[SIZE=12pt]That's a sign - when the messiah speaks the youth shall hear and the messiah is absolutely speaking"[/SIZE]

Louis Farrakhn video link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OowxMcVTjTE

[SIZE=12pt]Patriotism... is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime[/SIZE]. ~Adlai Stevenson

 

[Judi Renchen]

Burning coal is antiquated !! It is HORRIBLE for our air. It's dangerous for the workers. We so need to turn to wind and solar energy instead.

Ok so exactly what are you doing to help solve the destruction of our environment? I see so many people get on the band wagon verbally but sit back and do absolutely nothing to control their own destruction of our environment.

Coal is not only burned for household heat it's used still today in factories across the country for their production. Yes alternatives need to be found but if Obama's plan is followed it'll will also bankrupt some other big businesses as well. It's all a circle and the circle needs to get unified with the plan. Take one item out of the circle and MASS problems occur. Don't we already have this problem and it needs to be fixed before we create more problems and take this country down even further.

I'm not the sharpest tool in the box when it comes to many of the subjects posted here so I keep quiet and my opinion to myself. I also do not live in an area that burns a lot of coal or mines for coal so I can't speak for them. But I'll tell you EXACTLY what is polluting my air around me. Airplanes and the emissions from them, whether it be noise, dumping of fuel, what ever you want to call it. I have worked in the automobile industry for 6 years and can guarantee you that the airplanes "dispose" of pollutants and it's getting all over vehicles and it's HE?? to get off of them. So if it's on the vehicles it's in the air, in my lungs, on my house, on my clothes etc. So is the solution to get rid of Airplanes??? I think not.

Anyway my two cents. Don't really care if anyone likes it or not. I'm Sooo looking forward to voting tomorrow and praying to GOD that this country and her people do the right thing. Maybe besides listening to the television stations with all their "hogwash". We should read the bible before we cast our ballot.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Yes, coal is antiquated, big polluters, and horrible for the enviroment. They also produce 60% of our energy, for the cheapest cost. I don't understand how people can support Obama!

 

[AppyLover2]

Maybe besides listening to the television stations with all their "hogwash". We should read the bible before we cast our ballot.

Very well said Judi!! I'm not a overly religious person but there have been several times that I've silently prayed that whatever decision made is the right one. I'm sure there will be many more before we know whether it was.

 

[Bassett]

We have 2 coal fired power plants right here in Alma on the Mississippi River. If they were shut down I only cringe to think what would happen to our already low economy here. The solution I think is to keep the coal but clean it up. If there were no coal mines just how many people would be put out of work? Many jobs would be lost. We need more jobs, not less.

 

[BlueMoonEmbroidery]

Coal: McCain said the same thing as Obama

by pa2006voter

Sun Nov 02, 2008 at 03:58:11 PM PDT

John McCain and Barack Obama both support some type of cap and trade system related to carbon emissions. So when the McCain campaign tries to attack Obama on the possibility that new coal plants that don't prevent carbon emissions will face higher costs, they intentionally ignore that McCain has stated that his plan will do the same EXACT thing.

If a company ignores the problem of global warming, McCain said "a utility that builds a new coal plant..would be doing a disservice both to their customers and stockholders." McCain further said these would be "decisive economic incentives." So if someone attempts to build a new plant that ignores climate change, McCain would use "decisive economic" actions that would financially hurt the company. Using market forces to deal with climate change-Obama and McCain have suggested the same tactic.

McCain says that his cap and trade program will subject new coal plants to "decisive economic incentives." And by incentives, McCain is not talking about a positive thing, he is talking about the significant costs of carbon credits. Just like Obama.

You can see that in the following McCain statement that a "utility that builds a new coal plant without factoring in the inevitable curbs on carbon emissions necessary to combat climate change or the market opportunities of limiting such emissions would be doing a disservice both to their customers and stockholders."

Q.12: More than 100 new coal fired power plants are being planned in the United States. It is important that all new investments in power plants and other long-lived assets use the most advanced technology available, rather than lock in decades of excessive pollution. To accomplish this, each new plant should be required to capture and safely dispose of its global warming pollution.

Would you support legislation that requires each new power plant to capture and safely dispose of its global warming pollution?

"I support a national greenhouse gas emission cap and trade regimen that includes responsible emission limits and allows market forces to determine how best to meet them. Such a regimen will provide a decisive economic incentive for power producers to maximize the capture of carbon emissions. Clearly, a utility that builds a new coal plant without factoring in the inevitable curbs on carbon emissions necessary to combat climate change or the market opportunities of limiting such emissions would be doing a disservice both to their customers and stockholders. Accordingly, I believe that new coal plants should be constructed in a manner that is capture-ready, and can accommodate the retrofit of this technology as it advances."

http://presidentialprofiles2008.org/...

America can and should debate the role of coal in our energy policy.

But to claim that Obama wants to destroy the coal industry when McCain admits his policy would have the same financial threats to new coal plants that ignore the potential problems of climate change is just a proven lie.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/2/17...7706/777/650113

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

Blue Moon.....you conveniently left out Obama's words...

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It’s just that it will bankrupt them.”

Tell me how bankrupting an industry and putting God only knows how many thousands/millions of people out of work in this already bad economy is going to solve anything?

 

[BlueMoonEmbroidery]

Blue Moon.....you conveniently left out Obama's words...

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It’s just that it will bankrupt them.”

Tell me how bankrupting an industry and putting God only knows how many thousands/millions of people out of work in this already bad economy is going to solve anything?

I did not leave anything out. If you go to the link I provided Obamas words where not in the article.

How is not building anymore coal powered plants going to bankrupt the whole industry?

You dont think investing in solar, biodiesel and other alternative energies will create more jobs?

What about McCains plan, I don't see alot of difference -

If a company ignores the problem of global warming, McCain said "a utility that builds a new coal plant..would be doing a disservice both to their customers and stockholders." McCain further said these would be "decisive economic incentives." So if someone attempts to build a new plant that ignores climate change, McCain would use "decisive economic" actions that would financially hurt the company.

 

[Pepipony]

Good googlymoogly if its not one scare its another. Have y'all been reading Roves book on how to scare folks into voting for your guy or what? Guess since today is the 3rd, we'll be hearing that a vote for Obama is a vote for a mushroom cloud

 

[Bassett]

I did not leave anything out. If you go to the link I provided Obamas words where not in the article.

Articles can SAY anything. Watch the video. The words came directly from his mouth. Unless he has a twin and that we don't know for sure. We know very little about him.

 

[littlesteppers]

dailykos ????

Daily weblog with political analysis on US current events from a liberal perspective

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

Blue Moon.....you conveniently left out Obama's words...

“So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it’s just that it will bankrupt them because they’re going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that’s being emitted.

That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

The only thing I’ve said with respect to coal, I haven’t been some coal booster. What I have said is that for us to take coal off the table as a ideological matter as opposed to saying if technology allows us to use coal in a clean way, we should pursue it.

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can.

It’s just that it will bankrupt them.”

Tell me how bankrupting an industry and putting God only knows how many thousands/millions of people out of work in this already bad economy is going to solve anything?

I did not leave anything out. If you go to the link I provided Obamas words where not in the article.

How is not building anymore coal powered plants going to bankrupt the whole industry?

You dont think investing in solar, biodiesel and other alternative energies will create more jobs?

What about McCains plan, I don't see alot of difference -

If a company ignores the problem of global warming, McCain said "a utility that builds a new coal plant..would be doing a disservice both to their customers and stockholders." McCain further said these would be "decisive economic incentives." So if someone attempts to build a new plant that ignores climate change, McCain would use "decisive economic" actions that would financially hurt the company.

No one is saying burning coal isn't creating problems. But you don't bankrupt the industry, put people out of work, etc. until you have other sources of energy in place. OH and let's not forget about raising the cost of that energy, skyrocketing the cost of energy, as Obama put it. I guess we all know how everyone will be spending that supposed tax refund/break, on energy costs.

 

[BlueMoonEmbroidery]

dailykos ????

Daily weblog with political analysis on US current events from a liberal perspective

And the links to BLOGS that were posted here are unbiased.

Once again noone has anything to say about McCain plan which says basically the same thing.

 

[littlesteppers]

The links go to OBAMA saying it..nuff said..

 

[sdmini]

There was an energy bill that didn't pass (actually filibustered so never made it that far) that would ding both the coal industry and the oil industry just this year. Coal plants are working on Carbon Capture to make their product more "green". I don't know how close they are to that but no matter who gets in the Coal industry is going to have to step up their game if they plan on being viable in the near future.

Canada also needs to take some responsibility with getting oil from the Tar Sands, something that is leaving a 2X bigger carbon footprint than normally processed crude oil.

We can not be energy conscious only when it suits us.