| Moderator Robert Ward, after allowing the candidates opening statements, to answer questions on foreign and domestic policy, and questions posed of each other, allowed each candidate one minute each to answer each of the following questions based on energy policy. At any time if one candidate mentioned another by name, that candidate would be allowed a rebuttal of thirty seconds.
Like many other states, New York is pursuing a major increase in wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg is proposing specific ideas of placing wind turbines on bridges and skyscrapers as part of plan to make renewable energy supply 10% of the city's electric needs. If you support increased use of wind power, can you name any sites where you support locating wind turbines and wind farms?
Phil Steck
"Well, I think one of the key issues with wind power, which I strongly support...we actually get our home electricity from wind power, we signed up to do that...and I did so before running. But one of the key things with wind is a lot of our transmission lines were build during the era of rural electrification under Franklin Roosevelt. That needs to be changed and the federal government needs to step in as it did in Roosevelt's time and promote the development of that infrastructure.
I've called for a windfall profits tax on oil to fund that development. I certainly look to the wind resource actively, if we have proper transmission lines, to locate in rather remote areas of the country where we would not need to be as concerned as some of our local communities have been about fighting turbines. But ridges of mountains are places where this is done. South Dakota has tremendous wind resources, as does northern New York."
Moderator Robert Ward asked Phil an additional question, "So from what I hear the specific sites would be in South Dakota and other states?"
Phil answered, "And on the ridges of mountains and wherever they can be sited in the least obstructive way."
Paul Tonko
"The efforts by NYSERDA, I should say the responsibilities that befall NYSERDA, includes the renewable portfolio. And what we do is assist communities and projects that are proposed for New York state. Here in New York, the North Country seems to be the area that has amassed the most wind power. There are other projects that we've worked on in the landfill that is soon to be capped on Staten Island. And I think that by working with host communities, by working with a master plan that, again, would embrace this comprehensive energy policy, energy plan in this country, what we encourage was, through the Legislature and through the Energy Committee, advancing out the blueprint for where the most expeditious and most beneficial locations might be.
"This is all in keeping with the strategy to plan out where the best locations are. I think the view of this state...it's critical and needs to be really focused upon."
Darius Shahinfar
"In New York state, the Adirondacks and the Catskills are the best place to do it, along as well as the Great Lakes as well. That's where the wind is. I think it is crucial to put the windmills where the wind is, obviously. But you have to overcome, frequently, local opposition and zoning to the siting of the wind tower. That's a problem that has to be addressed on how localities generally call the shots.
"But in New York state, it's open water, and the Catskills and Adirondacks seem the best."
Tracey Brooks
"What I've been hearing from New York City is looking at finding ways to bring alternative energy into the city because that's where the congestion is. And unlike the siting of new power lines, which is a project that we had to deal with while working for Senator Clinton's office. Many of us don't like to see the beautiful landscape in New York state running through with more power lines.
"What we do recognize and understand is the wind isn't closest to New York City. But it's wonderful that while the Staten Island project that's on the landfill. That the building on skyscrapers is being looked at because congestion is located closest to the city. The wind is located in our beautiful Adirondack Park and our Catskill Mountains and our Great Lakes. We also need to be working together as a state in the nation to be talking about where and how we are going to prioritize becoming less dependant on foreign oil And we can do that through conversation and discussion because the host towns are a significant portion of this conversation, so...is that it? I'll be quiet."
Do you favor allowing any drilling for oil and natural gas off the coast of the United States as part of a broader effort to reduce the price of gasoline and home heating oil? Or do you think the potential costs and risks of that are too great?
Paul Tonko
"Well, I think that somewhat becomes the Swift Boat issue of the Presidential campaign. For an administration that ignored energy policy and then brought us the war in Iraq over oil, now all of a sudden there's this quick fix solution. I think that there's a number of measures that have to be looked at. It's not as simple as just using that in a single dynamic in the broader discussion on energy.
"There are many of acres of land that can be drilled today by the companies of the state without going to the outer continental shelf. The impact on efficiency, we're still underestimating our demand-side opportunities here. That, at NYSERDA, we were pushing very hard to have a balance between supply-side solutions and demand-side solutions.
"Energy solutions can avoid a lot of energy waste. We need to invest there. We need to emphasize conservation. And we certainly need to put together a plan that leads us from a dependency on fossil-based fuels and allows us to look at alternative technologies."
The moderator again wanted clarification on the question of whether or nor offshore drilling was supported, to which Mr. Tonko answered "I would not favor that as a high priority.. Obviously there are those who are talking about a package that could be assembled, but I think that jumping into drilling would be a mistake."
Darius Shahinfar
"Well, Paul answered the question for me. I would accept it in a package of proposals for a national energy policy, particularly to fight and pay for the New Appollo Energy Act. But I think as a stand-alone bill, no. I think the risks are too great to destroying our wilderness offshore...but I think it's a price we may have to be willing to pay as apart of a comprehensive energy policy."
Tracey Brooks
"I say 'ditto.' Mr. Tonko did a great job addressing all angles of that question. I would not...no is the answer to the question. I would not support it and the reason I wouldn't is we have to have an infrastructure that is old, antiquated technology as opposed to taking the funds that we could be investing in building the infrastructure that would support alternative and robust renewables.
"We...I'm sorry I've lost my place....
"I've had a plan up on my website to address the oil issue, the gas issue, and the energy issue since May. It's an eight-point plan and it deals with conservation, it deals with tax credits. We have to have a government that stops putting the profits of oil companies ahead of our people. We have to make sure we don't have politicians who are willing to stand up and fight for a comprehensive energy policy in our federal government as well as our state. And my plan on my website goes through that very in depth."
Phil Steck
"Well I am opposed to offshore drilling. One of the problems is it's a phony issue being raised by Republicans. It would not produce any benefits for a very, very long time and would not help in any way to decrease the price of gasoline. Reform of Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the speculation in oil would do a lot more to get the price of gasoline down.
"Finally, as I've said before, I support a windfall profits tax on oil, again, not to punish the oil companies but in realization that, for years, we've been promoting oil consumption. We need to generate revenue that can be used to build alternative energy infrastructure."
Would you support a carbon tax, which many economists argue is the broadest and most fair way to spread the burden of higher taxes on fossil fuels while continuing to reduce the use of those? Would you support a carbon tax as part of your broader energy policy in help funding new energy forms such as wind and solar?
Darius Shahinfar
"I would be willing to take a look at that. I may be willing to support it in the future. The problem right now is, again, the price of gas has gotten to be so, and the price of heating oil, has gotten to be so costly that...it takes time without any reduction in costs already dramatically negatively impact regular people who work for a living.
"At this point in time I can't say I would support it. But in the future with dealing what we're talking about here with moving towards alternative energy in reducing the price of gas, and in the future I may support it."
Tracey Brooks
"I think it would make more sense instead of a penalty tax is a tax break encouragement to help move our families to strike our carbon footprint and our companies, our businesses, are by providing tax credits for those who sign up to use alternatives to lessen their use of fossil fuel, carbon-based electric and energy. So I would flip it. Rather than a negative penalty, I would look for ways to positively encourage a tax credit."
Phil Steck
"I would support the carbon tax. I think that we need; One of the great things that people forget about a lot of our efforts to improve energy efficiency, and this is a form of that, is that it actually creates jobs. Because when you do this, business needs to innovate in order to avoid the tax. They will have the opportunity through innovation to do that.
"Innovation creates jobs. So, if we are serious about cutting our carbon emissions; if we are serious about addressing the problem of Global Warming; and if we are serious about growing jobs in the alternative energy sector, this is a good policy."
Paul Tonko
"The...having lobbied the Hill in Washington on energy and environment matters, and having testified before Congress, I can tell you that that would be a huge lift. And I have been working, through NYSERDA with the Commissioner of the DEC and some of the agents for New York as a multi-state compact for a carbon cap-and-trade program.
"And it was that concept that, surprisingly, brought those many states in New England, New York, and south of New York, to an agreement on how to put together a cap-and-trade program. When you put the cap on emissions allows, and then allows people to purchase or sell, at an auction those...those premiums, and then use the dividends from the auction sales to invest in alternative technology, in R&D., and all sorts of innovation. That I think is the way to do it. It could produce trillions of dollars coast to coast for this state, for this country, and move us into a new realm of innovation economy and energy revolution.
"While I have a few seconds left, the earlier question on drilling. What needs to be brought to everyone's attention too is that it's put into the international pool. That's something we can live in an isolationist outcome. The oil that would come from the drilling would go into an international pool that's priced against the American dollar. The weakness of the American dollar is the weakest of the American dollar. That's also a big factor of driving up the fuel costs."
After this third round of questions prepared by Democracy for the Hudson Mohwak Region and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, the two main sponsors of the final forum, moderator Robert Ward moved to a final round of questions compiled from members of the audience. |
