I decided to profile my senator, Kay Hagan (D-NC), after sifting through existing analyses of likely senate votes on the American Clean Energy and Security bill (ACES), the bill that would place a national cap on carbon emissions (i.e. carbon cap and trade). None of the analyses I could find put effort into researching Southern Democrats. Is it a reflexive "why bother?" Are they thinking, "they’re not the likeliest yea votes, so no rush digging to find out about them...just put them in the "not much is known" pile and move on..."?
Well, here’s a spoiler on Kay Hagan – she’s ours to lose. She understands climate change. She already gets it. She's well aware of how important this bill is. But she won’t be with us if we don’t have her back. Follow me below the fold for some surprising facts about Kay Hagan and the Old North State.
Here are a few things about North Carolina state politics that you may not know – and it’s important, because state politics is where Senator Kay Hagan comes from. She spent ten years in the NC legislature representing Greensboro, right smack dab in the middle of the state. She’s no yahoo – she’s the niece of Lawton Chiles, who was a Florida state legislator throughout her childhood, then a US senator for three terms, and then governor of Florida for almost two terms (until his death). Kay Hagan is born and bred politician –a highly intelligent and politically shrewd one.
State government in North Carolina, which is run by Democrats, has been on the renewable energy bandwagon for a while now. We have a statewide renewable portfolio standard which requires that by 2021, 12.5% of electricity generated statewide must come from renewable sources. We’ve been pushing on our coal-fired electric plants to clean up for a while now too -- in 2002 we made all our large coal plants put on scrubbers (then-governor Mike Easley (D) cut a deal with major players Duke Energy and Progress Energy for their support. Duke and Progress got some perks, but hey, whatever works). We have a state energy office that sees green business and green jobs as a critical economic engine, and a new governor, Bev Purdue, who has made support for the green economy a centerpiece of her administration. (Purdue jumped on the green business bandwagon years ago as lieutenant governor – I’ve seen her at conferences here and there in the past, and she clearly gets it).
But aren’t the state leaders conservative Democrats, you ask? Well, yes, mostly (though not entirely – there’s a small progressive/populist contingent too). They understand business. Crucially, they also understand economic development. (Those who don’t – and who aren’t so smart - become Republicans). And they’re also from a state that’s really green – literally green, as in verdant. North Carolina is swathed in forest and farms, blessed by abundant rain (usually), containing folks who have been rooted to the land for generations. It also has mountains and beaches that bring in vast sums of tourist money tied to outdoor rest and recreation. The more forward thinking among state leaders are starting to understand the threat of climate change and its likely effects on North Carolina - imagine, for example, what sea level rise will do to the Outer Banks.
That’s the environment from which Kay Hagan springs. As a state legislator from 1999 til 2008, she compiled a strong environmental record. She supported the renewable portfolio standard, the Clean Smokestacks law, legislation to support solar energy, and clean drinking water legislation. Prior to the 2008 race in which she upended Elizabeth Dole, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) gave Hagan an 85% rating based on her state record from 2003 to 2007. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy Action Fund called her a "proven leader on energy and environmental issues." Environment NC said she had voted with them 81% of the time. Unsurprisingly, all the major environmental organizations endorsed her over the pathetic tool that is Liddy Dole. Here’s one of Hagan’s responses on LCV’s questionnaire:
"I believe we need a new energy policy that will invest in renewable energies to create good jobs here at home while also reducing our dependence on foreign oil," Hagan said in her response to an LCV questionnaire. "I will prioritize investments in conservation, clean air and clean water now because that will pay dividends later by keeping North Carolina an attractive place for residents and small businesses."
Senator Hagan’s 2008 campaign website was clear on cap and trade. Her Senate website now – much vaguer. No specific mention of the American Clean Energy and Security bill (ACES) or cap and trade. I couldn’t find any statements she has made on cap and trade in general, or ACES in specific, since entering the Senate. Is she hedging her bets? Sniffing the political winds? You be the judge:
From her campaign website:
Move Towards a Green Economy
Increase Production And Use Of Alternative Energy Sources. Kay knows that if we want to decrease our dependence on foreign oil, we cannot rely on just one source, and we will have to rely on a combination of other energy sources. Kay supported the state law that required 12.5 percent of North Carolina’s energy to come from renewable energy sources by 2021, and she would have supported one of the provisions that was stripped out of the 2007 energy bill which would have required 15 percent of our nation’s energy supply to come from renewable sources by 2020. In order to ensure that our country will be able to increase clean energy generation, we need to provide long-term, dependable tax credits to companies that develop or generate electricity through renewable resources such as wind, water, solar and biofuels.
• • Create Jobs. Energy efficiency creates jobs. Experts have suggested that every $10 million invested in clean energy production will create anywhere from 160 to 215 new, good-paying jobs. Once we have identified jobs that will be created, we will support job-training initiatives, especially for low-income workers or the unemployed, so those individuals can be lifted out of poverty.
• • Save Ratepayer Dollars. The Union of Concerned Scientists said increasing the use of renewable energy by 15% over the next 12 years would save North Carolina ratepayers anywhere from $130 million to $530 million.
Create Market Incentives To Invest In New Technologies And Reduce Carbon Emissions By 60-80 Percent By 2050. By creating a market incentive for cleaner energy, Kay believes we can guarantee that our country will reduce its overall emissions. The US Climate Action Partnership, a consortium of businesses and environmental groups, has called a cap and trade system "essential" for the environment and for the economy. The system harnesses American ingenuity and innovation by creating a market incentive for companies and the government to produce cleaner energy. Under the system, the economy’s carbon emissions would be capped and reduced over time, and companies that reduce emissions faster will be able to sell their emissions savings to other companies, creating a profit motive for cleaner energy.
Redirect Tax Breaks And Subsidies From Oil And Gas To Clean Energy Entrepreneurs. The federal government currently provides approximately $1.8 billion annually in tax breaks and other subsidies to the oil and gas industry. President Bush admitted in 2005, "With $55 (a barrel) oil, we don’t need incentives for oil and gas companies to explore," and now oil is more than twice that price. Given their record profits of $123 billion in 2007 alone, Kay knows that oil and gas companies do not need this kind of federal assistance, and she would redirect these funds to invest in clean energy sources that can create jobs in North Carolina.
From her current US Senate website:
Energy
Senator Hagan knows that North Carolina can become a leader in the new energy economy, and supports a comprehensive approach to meeting the energy challenges of the 21st century. As a state senator, Senator Hagan led efforts to place North Carolina at the vanguard of energy independence and sustainability through the enactment of a state renewable portfolio standard. Similarly, Senator Hagan was a proponent of the landmark North Carolina Biofuels Center and high-level energy research and development throughout the University of North Carolina system.
Through targeted federal investment in cutting-edge technologies and continued support for energy efficiency programs, Senator Hagan is excited to work in the U.S. Senate to create and keep well-paying jobs for all Americans – jobs that cannot be outsourced. Our homes and businesses must become more energy efficient, and it will require a new generation of high-skill American workers to undertake this essential work. Likewise, recognizing North Carolina’s agricultural roots, Senator Hagan is committed to identifying new opportunities to connect this historic tradition to emerging national energy priorities. Thus, in addition to sustained investment in wind and solar resources, it is essential that federal leaders continue to support next-generation biomass and blended bio-fuel energy production. Because our energy independence and national security are intimately linked, Senator Hagan believes it is essential that we move aggressively to create sustainable energy solutions for the 21st century and beyond.
So is Senator Hagan likely to do what she knows is the right thing, and support ACES? Could she be persuaded to co-sponsor a Senate version? She does know what the right thing is – that much is clear from her state record, her earlier rhetoric, and even her recent actions. (For example: as recently as early August of this year, she announced proudly that NC A&T State University in her hometown of Greensboro had won a $2.3 million scientific research grant from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to support their data gathering on weather and climate change.)
Nevertheless, all indications are that she waits to sniff the political winds, and then bends with them. Remember health care earlier this year: Kay Hagan is a blue dog, and was a crucial vote on the Senate HELP committee. Initially she was cagey about whether she would vote yea on the HELP committee health care bill. After a coordinated campaign of public pressure from her constituents a few months ago, she suddenly made it clear that yes, in fact, she did support the public option, and had supported it all along... Now, though, she's being cagey about it again.
There is every reason to believe the same thing will happen with cap and trade. Recently I submitted a detailed set of questions through her Senate website. Here’s my letter:
Dear Senator Hagan -
During the campaign, your website explained that you were in favor of a cap on carbon and a trading program to reduce carbon emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050.
Will you vote for a carbon cap and trade bill in the Senate, similar to ACES, which has passed the House?
Will you co-sponsor such a bill?
Will you work vigorously for such a bill?
If not, why not? Clearly you recognize the economic benefits for North Carolina as well as the looming climate crisis, which threatens our coastline and our childrens' future.
Here is what your website said during the campaign:
"Create Market Incentives To Invest In New Technologies And Reduce Carbon Emissions By 60-80 Percent By 2050. By creating a market incentive for cleaner energy, Kay believes we can guarantee that our country will reduce its overall emissions. The US Climate Action Partnership, a consortium of businesses and environmental groups, has called a cap and trade system "essential" for the environment and for the economy. The system harnesses American ingenuity and innovation by creating a market incentive for companies and the government to produce cleaner energy. Under the system, the economy’s carbon emissions would be capped and reduced over time, and companies that reduce emissions faster will be able to sell their emissions savings to other companies, creating a profit motive for cleaner energy. "
Please respond to these points. Thank you.
A week later, I received a generic response ("Please be assured that we will get back to you as soon as possible regarding your specific concern."). Now I understand she gets a lot of mail – in a previous incarnation I’ve written responses to public inquiries, and I know it takes a while. But I’m not holding my breath.
The bottom line: If we pressure her, she will do the right thing. If not...it’s hard to say. Kay Hagan gets the connections between climate change, green jobs, scientific enterprise, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. She knows what she ought to do. But she needs us to make her do it.
If you are interested in environmental issues, please join href="http://groups.google.com/group/dk-greenroots"> DK GreenRoots, a new
environmental advocacy group created by Meteor Blades and Patriot Daily.
DK GreenRoots comprises bloggers at Daily Kos and eco-advocates from other sites.
We focus on a broad range of issues and are always open to new ones.
Over the coming weeks and months, DK Greenroots will initiate a variety of environmental projects,
some political and some having nothing directly to do with politics at all.
Some projects may involve the creation of eco working groups that can be used for a variety of actions,
including implementing political action or drafting proposed legislation. We are in exciting times now
because for the first time in decades, significant environmental legislation will be passed by Congress.
It is far easier to achieve real change if our proposal is on the table rather than fighting rearguard actions.