Environmentalists Slam ‘Pledge to America’ Energy Plan

The GOP’s 21-page “Pledge to America” proposal, released today, is mostly silent on energy policy. In fact, the proposal summarizes Republicans’ energy policy in one sentence. The plan? Increase domestic energy production, and oppose cap-and-trade.

The plan says:

We will fight to increase access to domestic energy sources and oppose attempts to impose a national “cap-and-trade” energy tax.

Environmentalists are already slamming the proposal as inadequate. And some are trying to link Republicans to the oil industry. Dan Weiss, director of climate strategy at the Center for American Progress said in a post at The Wonk Room that the Republicans’ strategy is “straight out of big oil’s playbook,” citing examples of oil industry officials calling for increased access to domestic energy. He writes:

When it comes to energy policy, the GOP leaders actually ignore public opinion, ignore science, and instead promote the same old ideas flogged by big oil lobbyists and other energy interests. The entire Republican energy policy is a single sentence.

To be fair though, Republicans have offered a broader energy plan, the American Energy Act. You can read more about it here.