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Democratic Party on Energy & Oil

Party Platform


Transfer billions in oil & gas subsidies to alternative R&D

We will create a cleaner, greener and stronger America by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, eliminating billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop energy alternatives, and investing in energy independent technology.

Energy independence puts America in the driver’s seat to pursue affordable and efficient energy solutions that will benefit all Americans, improve America’s security, reduce the burden on American families, and help clean our environment.

American families deserve an energy policy that creates a cleaner and stronger America that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and also creates new jobs for American workers. By clearing the pathways to innovation, investing i our workers and infrastructure, and providing American consumers with broader, more responsible choices, the Democratic plan will provide the tools to help move America forward, toward real energy security for the 21st century.

Source: 2006 Democratic Party Congressional Promise Nov 1, 2006

We cannot drill our way to energy independence

A balanced energy policy must create real incentives for energy conservation in our homes, our offices, our factories, and our infrastructure, saving money and improving security even as it creates good jobs and rebuilds our communities.
Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.15 Jul 10, 2004

Energy independence to avoid dealing with repressive regimes

Today, the American economy depends on oil controlled by some of the world’s most repressive regimes. This leaves our economy dangerously vulnerable to nations that do not share our interests. America too often is silent about the practices of some governments because we depend on oil they control. John Kerry, John Edwards and the Democratic Party believe a strong America must no longer rely on the cooperation of regimes that do not share our values. We believe a strong America must move toward energy independence. In the Bush Administration, energy independence doesn’t get a thought. Their energy policy is simple: government by big oil, of big oil, and for big oil. This Administration let oil industry lobbyists and executives write our nation’s energy policy in secret. They even went to the Supreme Court to stop the public from learning what they were doing. This President’s approach to energy policy leaves America shackled to foreign oil, dependent, vulnerable, and exposed.
Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.14 Jul 10, 2004

Develop renewable energy and efficient vehicles

Harnessing American ingenuity to create renewable energy. Our plan begins with commonsense investments to harness the natural world around us-the sun, wind, water, geothermal and biomass sources, and a rich array of crops-to create a new generation of affordable energy for the 21st century. We support tax credits for private sector investment in clean, renewable sources of energy, and we will make ethanol credits work better for farmers. Creating the energy-efficient vehicles of tomorrow. We support improving fuel standards, and because of the challenges this poses, we will offer needed incentives for consumers to buy efficient vehicles, and for manufacturers to build them. We are also committed to developing hydrogen as a clean, reliable domestic source of energy. Our economy cannot convert to hydrogen overnight, so we will fund research to overcome the obstacles to hydrogen fuel and continue our other efforts to achieve energy independence.
Source: The Democratic Platform for America, p.14-15 Jul 10, 2004

Invest in technology & transportation friendly to earth

We must give incentives to invest in fuel-efficient cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles; energy-efficient homes. We need to clean up power plants. We should invest in roads, bridges, light rail systems, cleaner buses, the aviation system, our national passenger railroad, Amtrak, and trains that would give Americans choices-freeing them from traffic, smog-choked cities, and being held hostage to foreign oil. With the right investments, environmentally-friendly technologies can create new jobs.
Source: Democratic National Platform Aug 15, 2000

Other candidates on Energy & Oil: Democratic Party on other issues:

Incoming Obama Administration:
Pres.Barack Obama
V.P.Joe Biden
State:Hillary Clinton
HHS:Tom Daschle
Staff:Rahm Emanuel
DHS:Janet Napolitano
DOC:Bill Richardson
DoD:Robert Gates
A.G.:Eric Holder
Treas.:Tim Geithner

Outgoing Bush Administration:
Pres.George W. Bush
V.P.Dick Cheney
State:Colin Powell
State:Condi Rice
EPA:Christie Whitman

Former Clinton Administration:
Pres.Bill Clinton
HUD:Andrew Cuomo
V.P.Al Gore
Labor:Robert Reich
A.G.:Janet Reno
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2008