The Brave One

Clinton talks up clean energy at Houston energy summit

Posted at 1:36 PM on 29 Feb 2008

The Greater Houston Partnership held an energy forum Thursday to which all of the presidential candidates were invited and only one showed up: Hillary Clinton. Surrounded by folks from the energy industry, days before the crucial Texas primary, Clinton elected not to tell Big Oil what it wanted to hear. "I do not believe that now is the time when subsidies for the oil companies are necessary and appropriate," she said in her speech. "It is now time to subsidize new forms of energy." Clinton also boosted green-collar jobs, green building, solar power, and higher fuel-economy standards. The reaction of the business and energy bigwigs? "Polite but fairly tepid," according to the Houston Chronicle.

sources: Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, Houston Business Journal
see also, in Gristmill: Big Energy promotes Big Energy at Houston energy conference, Carl Pope talks market failures with energy execs at Houston energy conference

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Comments: (3 comments)

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McCain in Houston, too. But brave enough?

Hillary Clinton was indeed brave to come by the Houston Energy Summit. I heard her speak to hundreds of energy executives who probably weren't going to vote for her.

What was really strange was just few hours earlier, just a few miles away, at Rice University, Sen. John McCain spoke on energy and the environment. Why wouldn't he come talk to a crowd of mainly Republican energy executives?

Over at at the James Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston, without any prodding from media or the public, Sen. John McCain spoke forcefully about addressing the global climate crisis.

"Anyone who doesn't think America doesn't have the entrepreneurial, technological, innovative base to address this problem, doesn't know America."

"Right here, in this state, there's probably more talent and innovation than anywhere in the nation to solve this problem, at the academic level and the industrial level. We have got to rouse the American people, and I know the American people will meet that challenge."

He addressed the climate change skeptics, many from here in Houston and many from his party.

"Suppose we who believe climate change is taking place are wrong, and we go ahead and develop these new technologies, hybrid cards, wind power, solar, tide, ways at reducing and eliminating greenhouse gases. Suppose that we are right and do nothing, all that we've done that is give our children a cleaner planet. Suppose that we are wrong, and we do nothing, the answer is obvious."

McCain went on to say he believes nuclear power was a critical piece of the solution, and pointed to the fact 80 percent of electricity in France is powered by cleaner, nuclear energy. He also referenced how Brazilians have already proven flex fuels like E85 can fuel a huge part of their transportation needs.

Maybe McCain will be just as tough on energy companies as Clinton or Obama??

Check out my blog at http://www.enviromedia.com/enviroblog/ or my monthly guest colums about green marketing at http://www.environmentalleader.com/

by ktuerff at 9:57 AM on 01 Mar 2008

Don't kid yourself

Mccain didn't show up because those men are already going to vote for him. He has moved on from trying to convince republicans to trying to convince conservative democrats.

by morganmghee at 12:25 PM on 01 Mar 2008

Doesn't surprise me at all

At the Grist forum held early last year in Los Angeles, and ALL candidates were invited.

Hillary, Edwards and Kucinich.

They were the only ones who took it seriously enough.

So, when my time came around, I voted Hillary.

Would do it again, to.

by AuntBeth at 2:11 AM on 04 Mar 2008

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