Kerry's Energy Plan: Inconsistent, Expensive, Leaving America Less Secure

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) energy plan promises to reduce energy prices, maintain diversity of supply while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improve our domestic energy security. However, according to a new analysis of his plan by experts with the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), Kerry's goals are contradictory and implementation will be expensive. The analysis can be viewed online at http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ba/ba492/.

"Kerry's energy policy is a hopeless muddle, and would result in less energy security and higher fuel costs," said NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett, co-author of the report.

According to the NCPA report, Senator Kerry's energy policy is powered by contradiction. For example:

-- Sen. Kerry has suggested the U.S. could reduce gasoline and other fuel prices by halting the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), which is designed to provide a 90-day fuel supply in the event of a national emergency. This, despite the fact that in 2000 when President Clinton sold 30 million barrels of SPR oil -- 1 million barrels a day for 30 days - average gasoline prices fell by only one cent.

-- At the same time, Sen. Kerry has rejected exploration and production of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), because he believes it would have little or no effect on gas prices. However, ANWR contains 10 to 23 times more oil than the SPR can hold when it is completely filled.

-- Kerry promises $10 billion to support "clean coal" technology over the next decade.

-- But Kerry's support for coal runs counter to his commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Coal-fired power stations are responsible for 80 percent of the utility sector's emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2). While clean coal technology can reduce levels of certain pollutants, its most widely used form does not reduce CO 2 emissions. Even integrated gasification combined cycle, a new and expensive clean coal technology, only reduces CO 2 emissions 10 to 15 percent.

-- The Kerry energy plan also calls for maintaining the nuclear industry's role in electricity production.

-- However, Kerry would bar the shipment of nuclear waste to the planned federal storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, virtually ensuring that no new nuclear power plants will be built since, for liability reasons, banks won't fund new plants without a safe option for storing nuclear waste.

"Kerry's energy plan presents some laudable goals, but if enacted, his plan would have the opposite of its intended effects," said Burnett. "It would raise energy prices and reduce energy security.

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John Kerry Delenda Est!