This week kicked off the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where the eyes of the world are looking at someone who may very well be the next leader of one of the most powerful and influential countries. And this may also be one of the most tumultuous times in the world's history, so the next President of the United States is going to have their hands full. We wanted to get a better sense of where Donald Trump stands when it comes to sustainability, renewable energy and the environment. These should be core issues for the next President, because as reported by the U.S. Department of Defense back in July 2015, "Global climate change will aggravate problems such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership and weak political institutions that threaten stability in a number of countries."
The following are quotes and coverage of Donald Trump and his statements and actions on the renewable energy policies, including the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. RNN in no way endorses or supports any candidates and will also do a similar review of the Democratic nominee during that convention.
Trump: Hillary Clinton Wants To “Shut Down The Mines … I Want To Do Exactly The Opposite.” During a June 2016 speech in Monessen, Pennsylvania, Trump said, “Hillary Clinton wants to shut down energy production and shut down the mines, and she wants to shut down – she said it just recently – she wants to shut down the miners. I want to do exactly the opposite.” [American Bridge, 160628_MD_593_A (31:55), 6/28/16 (video available from American Bridge)]
Trump Wants To Re-Allow Drilling On Federal Lands. In a May 2016 speech to the North Dakota Petroleum Council, Trump said that in his first 100 days in office, he would “lift moratoriums on energy production in federal areas. We’re going to revoke policies that impose unwarranted restrictions on new drilling technologies.” [Donald Trump PressRelease, 5/26/16]
Trump Would Revitalize Coal. In a May 2016 speech to the North Dakota Petroleum Council, Trump said that in his first 100 days in office, he would “save the coal industry and other industries threatened by Hillary Clinton’s extremist agenda.” [Donald Trump Press Release, 5/26/16]
Trump Wanted To Bring Coal Jobs Back To Appalachia, But Did Not Have A Plan For How He Would Do So; “To Pull It Off, He Will Have To Overcome Market Forces And A Push For Cleaner Fuels That Have Plummeted Coal.” According to The Washington Post, “Donald Trump says he would bring back lost coal-mining jobs, and he is positioning for the November election in big coal states by portraying Hillary Clinton as a job killer. Trump, however, has yet to explain exactly how he will revitalize Appalachia’s coal industry. To pull it off, he will have to overcome market forces and a push for cleaner fuels that have pummeled coal. Coal’s slump is largely the result of cheap natural gas, which now rivals coal as a fuel for generating electricity. Older coal-fired plants are being idled to meet clean-air standards.” [The Washington Post, 5/5/16]
Donald Trump Affirmed His Support For The Renewable Fuel Standard After Touring The POET Biorefining Plant In Gowrie, Iowa. “Before attending the rally in Fort Dodge, Trump stopped at the POET Biorefining plant in Gowrie to tour the plant and discuss the renewable fuel standard with plant leadership and the co-chairs of America’s Renewable Energy. … That meeting was closed to the public, but afterward, Trump took two questions from a group of about 35 people who had been invited to a closed event. There, Trump affirmed his support of the renewable fuel standard. ‘I just want to tell you, you have my support,’ he said. ‘I’m with you.’” [Des Moines Register, 12/13/15]
Trump Was “Fine” With The Production Tax Credit For Wind Energy, Adding That Wind Is “Very Expensive,” And Will Need Subsidies. During a November 2015 campaign stop in Newton, Iowa, Trump was asked for his stance on the wind energy tax credit. He responded, “I’m fine with it. Any form of energy – we’ve got to get away from the Middle East. I will say, wind is a problem because it’s very expensive to build the towers – very, very expensive. As you know, when you have $40 oil, it’s not economic, so they’re going to have to do a subsidy, otherwise wind isn’t going to work. Wind is a very expensive form of energy, and it’s got problems of storage, and lots of other things. But, I want to see whatever you can do – ethanol, I’m totally in favor … Wind will need subsidies. It’s going to have to have subsidies.” [American Bridge, 151119_DMT_459_A (43:00), 11/19/15 (video available from American Bridge)]
HEADLINE: “Donald Trump Hated Wind Farms — Until An Iowa Voter Asked.” [Washington Post, 11/19/15]
Trump, On Wind Energy: “Windmills Look Nice, But They Kill A Lot Of Birds. Did You Know That?” During a November 2015 campaign stop in New Hampshire, Donald Trump took questions from the audience, including one from “twelveyear-old Annabelle Watson, a homeschooled student accompanied by her mother, who asked Trump about the benefits of fracking versus using wind energy. ‘Well, the windmills look nice,’ Trump told her. ‘But they kill a lot of birds. Did you know that?’” [National Review, 11/4/15]
Donald Trump Supported The Keystone Pipeline And Lifting The Ban On Crude-Oil Exports. “All of the GOP candidates for president support the Keystone pipeline and many, including retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, businessman Donald Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, support lifting the ban on crude-oil exports to foreign markets.” [Wall Street Journal, 9/29/15]
Trump: “If I Am Elected President I Will Immediately Approve The Keystone XL Pipeline. No Impact On Environment & Lots Of Jobs For U.S.” [@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 8/18/15]
Trump Called For Building The Keystone Pipeline Even Though “We Don’t Even Need It.” “Trump also discussed energy policy, where he said, ‘The Keystone Pipeline should be approved immediately. Not that I want it, because we’re bringing in oil from Canada, but you know what, it’s a lot easier than Saudi Arabia and some of these other places, and Canada’s been a great neighbor, et cetera, et cetera. But they should approve it. Number one, it’s jobs. Immediately, you’re building it, it’s jobs, it’s good. It’s not going to hurt anything in terms of environmentally. It’s hard to believe that that has not been approved. But get it approved. More oil coming in, the more we can have where we don’t have to go to foreign places, really foreign places to get the oil. So, there’s a simple one. it’s going to create jobs. It’s overall good. But we don’t even need it, in one sense, because we have so much under our own land we can do it, but we have to get rid of some of the restrictions.’” [Breitbart, 8/12/15; Hannity, Fox, 8/12/15]
Trump Urged Scottish Parliament To Cancel Proposal For Offshore Wind Farm Because They The Turbines Would Spoil The View At His Golf Resort; “They Are Ugly, They Are Noisy … If Scotland Does This, Scotland Will Be In Serious Trouble.” In April 2012, Trump urged Scotland’s parliament to “end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at his exclusive new $750-million-pound ($1.2-billion) golf resort … ‘Scotland, if you pursue this policy of these monstrous turbines, Scotland will go broke,’ he said. ‘They are ugly, they are noisy and they are dangerous. If Scotland does this, Scotland will be in serious trouble and will lose tourism to places like Ireland, and they are laughing at us.’ … When challenged to produce hard evidence about his claims on the negative impact of turbines, Trump said: ‘I am the evidence, I am a world class expert in tourism.’” In September 2012, Trump tweeted,” English taxpayers should stop subsidizing the destruction of Scotland by paying massive subsidies for ugly wind turbines.” [Associated Press, 4/26/12; Donald Trump Twitter, 9/26/12]
Trump Criticized Environmental Restrictions That Prevented The U.S. From Tapping Its Coal And Natural Gas Resources. TRUMP: “First of all, they're also going very heavy into coal. If you look at what China is doing, they're going heavy into coal whereas the environmental restrictions make it almost impossible for us to do the coal thing anymore. We are a tremendous source of coal. We are called the Saudi Arabia of coal, but it's Saudi Arabia times 100. So, you know, we don't use our natural resources. Whether it is clean or not, the fact is clean coal is coming along and it is a great source of energy. So many other things we're not using, natural-gas, to the extent that we should be. You know, if you look at certain countries in the Mideast, they are getting rid of their gas. They're selling us oil because they don't want to use it because we're paying a lot and they're using natural gas. And we have a tremendous natural gas reserves. So there are so many things, Eric, that we are not doing, and it is inconceivable that they are not started.” [Follow The Money, Fox Business, 6/28/11]
Trump Opposed Restrictions On Drilling For Oil. KILMEADE: “Donald, do you have an opinion on the fracking and the natural gas, who you be going at? Do you have an opinion on drilling here at home?” TRUMP: “Well, I think we should just drill. I mean this is crazy. They can't drill in the Gulf. They can't drill in Alaska. They can't drill anywhere and in the meantime, we're being held hostage by all of these foreign nations that are ripping us. So I think we should just open it up. I understand the environmental, I understand it probably better than any. I've received many, many environmental awards. But they are holding this country to a level that is impossible for us to do anything and if we're going to get back on track, we have to get oil down to $45, $50 or $60 a barrel. And right now, it looks like it's going up to $150. So we can never come back if oil is at these levels.” [Fox & Friends, Fox News, 4/25/11]
Trump Said He Would “Absolutely” Drill On ANWR. HANNITY: “You would drill on ANWR, you drill in the 48 states. ”TRUMP: “Absolutely.” [Hannity, Fox News, 4/14/11]
- See more at: http://www.renewablenow.biz/governmental-green.html#sthash.HgDBORjl.dpuf
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