Greentech Media
Republican presidential candidate John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate Friday [Aug. 29], touting her as a champion for "new energy sources."
The short announcement posted on McCain's Web site described Palin as someone who has "challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us - Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent." However, her definition of "new energy resources" is unclear. Palin, who was elected in 2006, is a staunch supporter of oil and gas drilling. She favors the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling, and she has carved out a reputation as a political reformer who isn't afraid to clash with senior members of her own party. The Sierra Club was quick to point out a story published by the Post and Courier in Charles, S.C., in August that underscored Palin's weak stance on renewable energy. "Alternative energy solutions are far from imminent and would require more than 10 years to develop," Palin said. Palin has supported renewable energy in the past. In May, she signed a bill to spend $250 million over the next five years on renewable energy power plants from sources that include solar, wind, hydroelectric and natural gas. This month, Palin signed a bill awarding TransCanada Pipelines the license to build a pipeline that costs an estimated $30 billion to transport natural gas from a new natural gas treatment plan in Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to other states. The state would reimburse up $500 million of the project's cost.
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