WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney's effort to turn up the heat, so
to speak, on President Barack Obama over the issue of rising gas prices
has had various elements and layers. He's called for Obama to fire top
cabinet officials; ridiculed the president's reluctance to approve
critical portions of the Keystone pipeline; and denounced the burden of
government regulations.
In one recent campaign stop, Romney accused the president of banning "Thomas Edison's [incandescent] light bulb."
On Thursday morning,
The New Republic did a deep dive
into Romney's record as a governor and discovered that he pursued many
of the same policies he now denounces: While in Massachusetts, Romney
responded to high gas prices by stressing that they were a result of the
global market. He pursued policies of conservation and vehicle
efficiency. He even went so far as to suggest high gas prices would have
a positive effect on consumer behavior.
"I don't think that now is the time, and I'm not sure there will be
the right time, for us to encourage the use of more gasoline," Romney
said, according to the
Quincy Patriot Ledger's report at the time. "I'm very much in favor of people recognizing that these high gasoline prices are probably here to stay."
As for those incandescent light bulbs, Romney's statement has been
challenged by fact-checkers,
who note that the bill that requires minimum efficiency standards for
those bulbs was signed into law by President George W. Bush. Obama has
subsequently blocked Republican attempts to repeal the law.
But while Romney may be opposed to the federal government regulating
minimum standards for the light bulb market, he certainly wasn't opposed
to the government promoting energy-efficient light bulb use itself.
In his
2004 Climate Protection Plan,
Romney pledged that Massachusetts would work with other states "to
foster legislation and other approaches" that would encourage energy
efficiency standards for many products, including "Torchiere lighting."
Elsewhere in that proposal, he noted that "lighting accounts for 20 to
25 percent of all electricity consumed in the U.S," and that improvement
in this field "offers a significant opportunity for the state and for
municipalities to save energy and money."
"To that end, the state is working with other states to assist
municipal officials to encourage the use of Light Emitting Diodes
(LEDs), high-efficiency street lighting, or other energy-saving lighting
technologies," the plan reads.
A search of Lexis-Nexis also reveals that in late November 2005,
Romney signed a bill that gave families a $600 tax credit for the
purchase of energy-efficient products. The bill, as
The Boston Globe reported at the time:
will raise the minimum energy efficiency standard for residential boilers and furnaces, incandescent reflector lamps,
and laptop computer power cords -- something Rhode Island, New York,
and several other states have done. Such a measure could have a dramatic
long-term effect in reducing energy consumption in Massachusetts, and
even the country as a whole, Romney said.
"This is going to be paying dividends for the people of Massachusetts
for a long, long time to come, and we're not finished," he said.
(emphasis added)
A month and a half before he signed that bill, meanwhile, Romney
joined then-Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman for an "Easy Ways to Save
Energy" campaign that included, among other suggestions, "replacing
existing light bulbs with Energy Star qualified fluorescent lights." The
full press release announcing the campaign is below.
DEDHAM, MA -- With higher home heating costs expected
this winter, U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman and Massachusetts
Governor Mitt Romney today highlighted easy, inexpensive ways consumers
can save money by reducing home heating bills. This visit to New
England is Secretary Bodman's first stop on the national "Easy Ways to
Save Energy" campaign.
"As a longtime Boston resident, I know how tough New England winters
can be," Secretary Bodman said. "Because of tight oil and natural gas
markets and the damage to our energy infrastructure caused by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, consumers can expect to see higher energy bills this
winter. There are, however, simple, inexpensive, yet extremely effective
measures consumers can take to reduce their energy bills."
"As a state, Massachusetts and its people have led the way in
pursuing energy efficient programs for our homes and businesses," said
Romney. "This year, it's especially important for consumers to know that
winter doesn't have to burn a hole in their wallet. Families can save
hundreds of dollars by following some common sense tips."
Secretary Bodman and Governor Romney's visit to Lowe's also
highlights the company's October 8, 2005 kick off of energy saving
How-To Clinics at its 1,200 stores nationwide. Held each Saturday at 1
p.m., these clinics aim to educate consumers about the many ways they
can conserve energy and money this winter.
In launching the national "Easy Ways to Save Energy" campaign on
Monday, October 3, 2005, Secretary Bodman announced that the Department
of Energy will take a comprehensive approach to improving energy
efficiency for consumers, businesses and the government. The campaign
features: For Consumers:
- An informative "Energysavers" guide outlining easy
ways to improve home energy efficiency available through the Department
of Energy, or, online at www.energysavers.gov;
- An aggressive public education effort including online, print, radio
and television ads featuring the "Energy Hog" - a character similar to
McGruff the Crime Dog and Smokey the Bear;
- An "Energy Hog" curriculum to be used by teachers in grades 3-8 featuring web-based games and take-home activities;
- A series of radio public service announcements in English and
Spanish featuring energy saving tips that have been distributed to 4,500
stations across the United States;
- For Business:
- Industrial Energy Saving Teams that will be dispatched to help
improve the efficiency of 200 of America's most energy-intensive
factories;
- Department of Energy is making the Energyavers guide
available to be reprinted and distributed by manufacturers, retailers
and local utilities;
For the Federal Government:
- Secretary Bodman has directed teams of qualified
energy experts to deploy to federal facilities to identify quick and
easy ways to save energy this winter. The federal government is the
largest consumer of energy in the United States.
- Easy tips for consumers include:
- Making sure your home is properly insulated. Proper insulation in
attics, ceilings, floors, crawlspaces and exterior and basement walls
can save 30 percent on home heating bills;
- Installing a programmable thermostat. Turning down a thermostat from
72 to 65 degrees for eight ours a day will save up to 10 percent on
your heating bill;
- Replacing existing light bulbs with Energy Star qualified fluorescent lights in the lamps and fixtures in your home; this can save up to 50 percent on lighting costs.
