More investment in “green” technology is shaping up to be a cornerstone of President Obama’s re-election effort, and the administration’s No. 2 man on Sunday accused Republicans of standing in the way of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy.
“They’re emasculating all the efforts to deal with renewable energy,” Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday in a prerecorded interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
“They have no policy,” he said of Republicans, including the GOP presidential hopefuls who increasingly are making more U.S. oil and gas drilling a major campaign theme.
The Obama administration has come under increasing fire for its perceived animosity toward fossil fuels, evidenced most recently by the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal last week to effectively outlaw the construction of any new coal-fired power plants. The EPA also is eyeing new regulations to limit domestic natural-gas production.
At the same time, the administration has directed taxpayer money to “green” companies such as Solyndra, which went bankrupt last year despite more than $500 million in federal loans. The White House also has offered both verbal support and a $7,500 tax credit to push the electric Chevrolet Volt, which no longer is in production because of weak sales.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.