Two very different platforms...

Two very different opinions... what do you think?

An energy election
How the candidates view energy policy, with the AJC's analysis of each plan

Published on: 07/07/08

John McCain says

• Permit oil drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf — where the shelf slopes into the deep ocean. It typically covers the area lying between three miles offshore and 200 miles offshore. No drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

• No windfall profits tax on oil companies.

• Suspend the 18.4 cent-a-gallon federal gasoline tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day — the "gas tax holiday."

• Offer a $5,000 tax credit for each customer who buys a zero-carbon-emissions car, to encourage automakers to build such vehicles and consumers to buy them.

• Award a $300 million prize for development of an electric-car battery "that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available ... cars."

• Enforce existing fuel-economy standards (currently 27.5 mpg for passenger cars). McCain asserts that carmakers that ignore the standards face mild punishment.

• Build 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030, with a goal of 100 new plants.

QUOTE: "The great issue of energy security is the sum total of so many problems that confront our nation. And it demands that we shake off old ways, negotiate new hazards and make hard choices long deferred."

Barack Obama says

• Invest $150 billion over 10 years to spark research and development of renewable energy technology.

• Reduce U.S. oil consumption by 3 million barrels per day by 2018 and 10 million barrels a day by 2030 — representing all imports from OPEC.

• No drilling in ANWR or on the Outer Continental Shelf.

• Phase out traditional incandescent light bulbs by 2014 for an energy saving of 88 billion kilowatt hours of power per year.

• "Flip" incentives at utility companies: Instead of getting increased profits when consumption goes up, utilities would make more money as they improve conservation.

• Double the fuel efficiency of autos within 18 years, saving a half-trillion gallons of gas. "Taking this one step will achieve more than three times the oil savings than could be produced under even the most optimist scenarios of drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and [ANWR]."

• Impose a "well-designed" windfall profits tax on oil companies.

QUOTE: "The question is not if a renewable energy economy will thrive in the future, it's where. And if we want that place to be the United States of America, we can't afford to wait any longer."

The Journal-Constitution says

• A windfall profits tax on oil companies, proposed by Obama, is a bad idea that would result in higher gasoline prices. high gas prices not such a bad idea if we are getting more miles per gallon

• The risks of drilling in ANWR far outweigh any benefits. But states should be able to decide whether to allow drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf beyond sight of shore. If it's going to be a state issue, let it be a state issue, Florida doesn't want to drill for oil of the coast but the Federal government has usurped that power. Lets just be clear and consistent. The residents of Wise County don't want to construct a coal fired power plant... again not their decision.

• The gasoline tax holiday proposal by McCain is ineffectual window dressing that would simply encourage people to buy more gas — exactly the wrong thing to do. agreed.

• A significant increase in federal CAFE standards is clearly warranted. McCain's policy glosses over this, simply saying that the government should enforce the current standard; Obama gets it right. agreed.

• The government should aggressively invest in the development of renewable energy sources. Obama appears headed in the right direction on this most crucial issue; McCain's proposal to build 100 nuclear plants is wrongheaded.agreed.

• McCain's idea to offer substantial tax credits to buyers of zero-emission cars is excellent; likewise, his $300 million prize for the best plug-in car battery sets us on the right road. I'll admit it, I like McCains idea here.