Paul Ryan's Pick as Vice President Nominee Sparks Energy Debate
Mitt Romney's pick of Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as his choice for a Vice Presidential running mate has big repercussions for the energy and environmental community. Not surprisingly, opinions about Congressman Ryan in the energy community fall along predictable political lines.
During the 112th Congress, Mr. Ryan has been a loyal backer of the conservative Republicans' stand on energy and environment - which means he is opposed to regulatory action from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), opposed to any governmental spending on renewable energy initiatives such as Solyndra, and a loyal supporter of the oil and gas industry. He has been embraced by the Climate Deniers.
The conservative energy stance of Paul Ryan will definitely help Mitt Romney's appeal to traditional Republican strongholds in the energy community who have been skeptical of Romney's past stands on energy as the governor of Massachusetts. As Governor, Romney introduced the Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan. This document laid plans to cut state pollution and increase energy efficiency. To add salt to Republican wounds, as Massachusetts Governor, Mr. Romney elevated Gina McCarthy, the high profile Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at EPA in the Obama Administration, to the position of Undersecretary for Policy at the Executive Office for Environmental Affairs. McCarthy, has been at the center of GOP conservative attacks on excessive government regulations on private industry. Paul Ryan's conservative stands on energy policy will probably help to mitigate Romney's past environmental record.
A first test of this difference will be in Iowa this month. The GOP leadership in the House of Representatives has been adamantly against extending the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for the wind industry and so far has been winning that battle in Congress. Meanwhile, the Obama Administration has taken a leadership role in the battle to preserve this important tax incentive for the wind industry. A major focus of the President's message will be the economic benefits of extension of the PTC to the state of Iowa. He will be campaigning the next two days in Iowa and he has made a point to say that wind energy has doubled since he has taken office.
