Romney Campaign Press Release - President Obama's Energy Policies: Failing Pennsylvania Since 2009

"Four years ago, Candidate Obama promised energy policies that were bound to hurt Pennsylvania families. Unfortunately, that's one of the few promises he kept. President Obama appointed advocates for higher energy prices to key administration posts while wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on crony capitalist boondoggles. We need a president who understands that it's not acceptable to block domestic energy production and regulate companies out of business while sticking taxpayers and consumers with the bill." —Andrea Saul, Romney Campaign Spokesperson

While Running For President, Candidate Obama Bragged That His Policies Would "Bankrupt" Those Seeking To Build New Coal Plants:

In 2008, Senator Obama Claimed His Administration's Policies Would "Bankrupt" Anyone Who Tried To Build A Coal Plant. OBAMA: "So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it's just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted." (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With The San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board, 1/17/08)

President Obama Pushes Regulations That Hurt Pennsylvania's Coal Industry And Raise Electricity Costs For Consumers:

The Obama Administration Recently Announced Greenhouse Gas Rules That Will Ensure Coal-Fired Plants "As They Exist Now Will Not Be Built In The Future." "But beyond that, the rule means that coal-fired power plants as they exist now will not be built in the future. The standard will generally require that new power plants emit CO2 at a rate no greater than that of a natural-gas-fired power plant. Such plants emit about 60 percent less greenhouse gases than coal plants." (Erica Martinson, "EPA Hits Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Power Plants," Politico, 3/26/12)

President Obama's Regulations On Coal Plants Will Raise Electricity Costs For Consumers. "Some utility officials said the new rules and others that the Obama administration plans to enact in the coming months could force the retirement of several coal plants. That, in turn, will raise electricity costs for consumers, said American Electric Power spokesman Pat Hemlepp." (Juliet Eilperin and Darryl Fears, "EPA To Impose New Power Plant Rules," The Washington Post, 7/7/11)

In Pennsylvania, Many Plants "Are Facing Hard Decisions" About How To Comply With EPA Regulations. "As for Pennsylvania's plants, most upgrades have been made at the newer and larger ones. So about 65 percent of the state's coal-fired generating capacity already has controls that would meet the new regulations, said Douglas Biden, president of the Electric Power Generation Association, a Pennsylvania industry group. But many older plants are facing hard decisions. Much like a family with a clunker car, they have to determine at what point it is no longer worth making more repairs." (Sandy Bauers, "Pennsylvania Coal Plants Face Big Changes Under Planned EPA Pollution-Control Rules," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/30/10)

Federal Regulations Will Force GenOn Energy To Close Three Plants In Pennsylvania, Resulting "In A Loss Of 180 Jobs." "GenOn Energy Inc. will shut down eight power plants over the next three years, three of them old, coal-burning power plants in Western Pennsylvania: at Elrama in northern Washington County, Shawville in Clearfield County and near New Castle in Lawrence County. The Houston-based power company announced the power plant deactivations Wednesday as part of its 2011 earnings report, blaming economics and federal environmental regulations requiring installation of pollution control equipment. ... Mr. Davies said the three Western Pennsylvania plant closures will result in a loss of 180 jobs — 60 at Elrama, 40 at New Castle and 80 at Shawville." (Don Hopey, "Off Switch Hit For Power Plants," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 3/1/12)

As A Result Of President Obama's Regulations, Exelon Will Close Two Plants In Pennsylvania By Next Year. "‘It's fully expected that some smaller coal-fired power plants will retire,' [industry official Douglas] Biden said. ‘Eddystone and Cromby have already seen the handwriting on the wall,' he said, referring to Exelon Corp. plants in Chester and Phoenixville, which will close by 2013." (Sandy Bauers, "Pennsylvania Coal Plants Face Big Changes Under Planned EPA Pollution-Control Rules," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/30/10)

In Other News, Gas Prices Have More Than Doubled In Pennsylvania Since President Obama Took Office:

Gas Prices In Pennsylvania Have Skyrocketed By Roughly 120% Under The Obama Administration. On April 4, a gallon of regular gasoline in Pennsylvania cost an average of $3.95. Four days before President Obama's inauguration, the same gallon of gasoline in Pennsylvania cost an average of $1.80. (AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report, 4/4/12)

FLASHBACK: In 2008, Now-Energy Secretary Steven Chu Said That "We Have To Figure Out How To Boost The Price Of Gasoline To The Levels In Europe." "In a sign of one major internal difference, Mr. Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars and living in neighborhoods closer to work. 'Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,' Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September." (Neil King Jr. and Stephen Power, "Times Tough For Energy Overhaul," The Wall Street Journal, 12/12/08)

Meanwhile, The President And Vice President Can't Even Agree On Their Own Energy Policy — Or Lack Thereof:

This Week, Vice President Biden Called The Administration's Energy Policy "The Best It's Ever Been." QUESTION: "Gas prices are above four dollars a gallon — you were asked this question, and you gave an answer — but there's a new commercial out that says since Obama has become president, prices have nearly doubled. Four years in, should you all have a better energy policy in America?" BIDEN: "I think our energy policy is the best it's ever been." (WAVY-TV, 4/3/12)

But Less Than A Year Ago, President Obama Said His Energy Policy Was Still "Just A Hodgepodge." OBAMA: "Our energy policy still is just a hodgepodge, and for all the progress we've made, we're not where we need to be in making sure that this is an energy-efficient economy that is running on all cylinders." (President Barack Obama, Remarks in Miami, FL, 6/13/11)