In Touching Display, Shultz, Baker, Lott, Other Superannuated GOP Hacks Want To Tax Carbon

Exelon Corp., an electric utility with the nation's largest carbon-free nuclear fleet, is spending $1 million on the effort, and the American Wind Energy Association and First Solar Inc. are underwriting the organization. Bloomberg first reported Exelon's involvement. It will push an idea advanced last year by the Climate Leadership Council, which includes former GOP Secretaries of State James Baker and George Shultz; environmental groups like the Nature Conservancy; and oil and gas companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell and BP PLC.

The major development is the level of lobbying that Americans for Carbon Dividends plans to use and its financing by energy firms. It hired former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) from Squire Patton Boggs to push the idea and eventually develop legislation (E&E News PM, June 20).

That Exelon is dumping money into the effort signals a new approach for the energy industry, as well. The company has been fighting in various states to secure funding for its financially vulnerable nuclear reactors. Many of those policies have credited nuclear for benefiting the climate with the carbon-free energy it provides. "This marks the first time in US history that an industry-funded campaign is launched to promote a direct price on carbon, and the first time an industry-funded campaign supports returning all the money directly to the American people," Greg Bertelsen, senior vice president with CLC, said in an email. "It is also the most ambitious climate plan currently being discussed."

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But the survey also revealed what's been true of climate policy and politics for years — just 6 percent identified climate change as a top-three issue facing the nation. Protecting the environment garnered 3 percent of responses. "[W]hen Mitt Romney announced he was running for Senate, he said he wanted to focus on three things. I can't remember the first two, but the third one was addressing climate change," Mike McKenna, a GOP energy lobbyist, said in an email. "That's an exceedingly odd thing to worry about, given that approximately no one in the Republican Party would put that issue in their top 10, let alone their top 3. No one except ... George Schultz [sic] and Jim Baker and the other fellow travelers and the fifth column crowd from the Republican Establishment."

Ed. - emphasis added. Yeah, in case you're wondering how this is going to work out.

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https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060085977