Presidential Candidate CleanTech Report Cards

As the U.S. braces for the 2016 presidential elections, opinions and promises have been made regarding climate change and clean technology. The CleanTech Alliance is tracking each candidate’s stance on clean energy, environmental sustainability and other cleantech policies.

For the Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton seem to embrace cleantech and plan to deploy set levels of renewable energy. For the Republicans, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz approach climate change from a different point of view and clean, renewable energy is not entirely embraced. John Kasich, however, approached cleantech from a different Republican perspective.

Here is what each has to say:

Democrat Hillary Clinton

Advocates clean technology and renewable energy.
Promises an increase in the production of renewable energy.
Plans to make the U.S. the new clean energy “superpower.”
Calls for the modernization of American infrastructure by transitioning from hazardous oil and natural gas pipelines to cleaner methods.
Plans to form a compact with Canada and Mexico to take steps in reducing greenhouse emissions and to cut the cost of energy.
Plans to reduce greenhouse gas by 80 percent by 2050.
Opposes both the Keystone Pipeline and Artic drilling.

Democrat Bernie Sanders

Vows to “cut emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050”
Plans to tax fossil fuels heavily by setting his “sights on the fossil fuel industry” and commits to taxing carbon pollution.
States that “right now, we have an energy policy that is rigged to boost the profits of big oil companies like Exxon, BP and Shell at the expense of average Americans.”
Plans to have 10 million Americans apply for clean energy jobs.
Vows to transition oil field workers and those in the fossil fuel industry into clean technology jobs involving renewable energy.
Commits to ban offshore drilling as soon as possible.

Republican Ted Cruz

Supports the use of biofuel blends within the nation’s gasoline supply (e.g., corn-based ethanol).
Dismisses climate change as “a pseudo-science theory.”
Accuses government researchers of making climate change and global warming “appear to be supported by scientific data.”
Supports revoking the offshore drilling moratorium.
Supports the Keystone Pipeline.

Read more at: https://www.tedcruz.org/issues/

Republican John Kasich

Pushes for increased energy efficiency across the U.S.
Favors clean, renewable energy, having stated: “The U.S. needs more renewable energy. End of story.” and “Of course we like solar, and we like wind.”
Argues that creating energy storage and battery technologies, along with solar and wind, is the next crucial step.
Pushes for strict green-energy mandates.

Republican Donald Trump

Claims that solar energy is hurting the U.S. economy.
Dismisses solar energy as “unproven technology.”
Denies climate change and dismisses it entirely.
States that oil is the “lifeblood” of the U.S. economy and job market.
Believes strongly in offshore fracking.
Supports domestic drilling as opposed to importing foreign oil products.