Contrast: Part 1 -- Energy

Over the next several weeks, I'll post some 'political' entries -- contrasting the plans of the two major-party candidates for president.

I encourage you to take a look at the issues – and decide which candidate you support.
(If you've already made up your mind -- look at the issues to be better informed!)

First up: Energy Policy:

The two candidates are largely the same, with some differences worth mentioning:

• McCain – No windfall profits tax.
• Obama – a windfall profits tax funding a $1000 per married couple energy rebate.
• McCain - No release of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve - that's for emergencies only.
• Obama - Release oil from the strategic petroleum reserve to help bring down prices.

The rest of the position statements sound like plans the two parties can agree on.


John McCain (Directly from the John McCain Website)

• Expand Domestic Oil Exploration. Promote And Expand The Use Of Our Domestic Supplies Of Natural Gas.
• Clean Car Challenge. A $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission car. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.
• A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles.
• Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector.
  Alcohol-Based Fuels As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices.
• Eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol.
• Enforce Existing CAFE Standards. (The mileage requirements that automobile manufacturers' cars must meet.)
• The U.S. Must Become A Leader In A New International Green Economy.
  $2 Billion Annually To Advancing Clean Coal Technologies.
• Construct 45 New Nuclear Power Plants By 2030 With The Ultimate Goal Of Eventually Constructing 100 New Plants.
• Establish A Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On R&D.
• Encourage The Market For Alternative, Low Carbon Fuels Such As Wind, Hydro And Solar Power.
• A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
• Greening The Federal Government.
• Move The United States Toward Electricity Grid And Metering Improvements To Save Energy.
• Understand The Role Speculation Is Playing In Our Soaring Energy Prices.
• No Windfall Profits Tax.

Barack Obama (Directly from the Barack Obama Website)

• Immediately Provide Emergency Energy Rebate. 500 for an individual and $1,000 for a married couple (Paid for by a windfall profits tax)
• Crack Down on Excessive Energy Speculation.
• Swap Light and Heavy Crude, Release Oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve to Cut Prices.
• Implement Cap and Trade Program to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
• Make the U.S. a Leader on Climate Change.
• Invest In A Clean Energy Economy and Help Create 5 Million New Green Jobs: $150 billion over 10 years.
• Create a "Green Vet Initiative: Offer counseling and job placement to help veterans gain the skills to enter this rapidly growing field; and work with industry partners to create career pathways and educational programs.
• Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders.
• Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies.
• Increase Fuel Economy Standards.
• Invest in Developing Advanced Vehicles and Put 1 Million Plugin Electric Vehicles on the Road by 2015.
• Partner with Domestic Automakers: $4 billion retooling tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufacturers, so that the new fuel-efficient cars can be built in the U.S. by American workers.
• Mandate All New Vehicles are Flexible Fuel Vehicles.
• Develop the Next Generation of Sustainable Biofuels and Infrastructure.
• Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard.
• A "Use it or Lose It" Approach to Existing Oil Drilling Leases.
• Promote the Responsible Domestic Production of Oil and Natural Gas.
• Prioritize the Construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline.
• Get More from our Existing Oil Fields.
• Require 10 Percent of Electricity to Come from Renewable Sources by 2012.
• Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology.
• Safe and Secure Nuclear Energy.
• Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, and Fastest Energy Source: Energy Efficiency.
• Overhaul Federal Efficiency Standards.
• Reduce Federal Energy Consumption.
• Flip Incentives to Energy Utilities.
• Invest in a Smart Grid.
• Weatherize One Million Homes Annually.
• Build More Livable and Sustainable Communities

Next up: Immigration