ETHANOL BUSINESS

Giuliani: The Lobbyist In Chief?

December 11th, 2007 | Author: Mr Ethanol

The Carpetbagger Report:
Yesterday, on Meet the Press, Tim Russert asked Rudy Giuliani one unexpected question towards the very end of the interview, inquiring about the former mayor’s opinion on a House energy bill that would increase fuel efficiency in cars.

“That isn’t the way I think it should be done,” Giuliani said. “I think what we should be doing is developing the alternatives so it’s possible to accomplish that as opposed to just setting mandates and not having the support there for expansion of hybrid vehicles, expansion of biofuels, including ethanol.”

The answer wasn’t too big a surprise. The House energy bill was really quite strong, including the first increase in federal fuel efficiency standards in three decades, investment that encourages the use of renewable energy sources, and the roll-back of $13.5 billion in tax breaks for the five largest U.S. oil companies, redirecting the money into conservation and development of renewable fuels. It’s the kind of quality policy that leading Republican presidential candidates are supposed to oppose.

But there was a piece to the puzzle that viewers didn’t know during the interview — Giuliani’s law firm has been lobbying heavily on behalf of the energy industry to kill the energy bill. (via Energy Smart)

A lobbying blitz by some of the U.S.’s biggest utility companies is likely to strangle the most potent provision in energy legislation that’s making its way through Congress.

Southern Co., American Electric Power Co. and other producers hired top Washington lobbyists, including Rudy Giuliani’s firm, to help defeat a measure that would force them to boost electricity generated by wind, solar and other forms of renewable energy to 15% of the U.S. total by 2020. That’s up from less than 2% today, and is a move the industry says would cost at least $67 billion.