Bush-Cheney Administration Makes Right Decision on Energy Policy

Washington, D.C., March 14, 2001—The Competitive Enterprise Institute, a free market public policy group, is praising President Bush for his decision not to ask for emissions reductions of carbon dioxide at our nation’s power plants.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office” />

 

CEI believes carbon dioxide should never have been included in any talks about emissions reductions because it is not a pollutant, but a naturally occurring trace gas necessary for life on earth. Myron Ebell, director of global warming policy at CEI, worked diligently along with adjunct policy analyst Chris Horner to protect Americans from such a restrictive policy.

 

“CEI commends President Bush for making the right decision to oppose proposals to regulate carbon dioxide emissions. Although this idea was mentioned in the campaign's energy plan, the Administration decided on the basis of a new Energy Information Administration study that it would be enormously expensive. The proposal therefore conflicted with the main goals of President Bush's energy plan–to increase energy supplies and lower prices. It also conflicted with the president's stated reasons for opposing the Kyoto global warming treaty,” said Ebell.

 

“We look forward to working with the Bush-Cheney Administration on policies that will help provide American consumers with more abundant and affordable energy. And we hope that they will now move quickly to appoint people to the key positions on global warming policy who agree with the president's opposition to regulating carbon dioxide emissions and to the Kyoto Protocol,” he added.

 

CEI’s president and founder, Fred Smith, also commends President Bush for championing affordable energy and siding with American consumers, calling the decision a victory for all Americans. “President Bush showed admirable leadership in opposing a big business, big green initiative to trap Americans into a California style energy suppression policy,” said Smith.

 

 

CEI, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy group founded in 1984, is dedicated to the principles of free enterprise and limited government. For more information, please contact the media relations department at [email protected] or 202.331.1010.