The Republican Primaries: At A Glance

Where The Candidates Stand on Energy and the Environment

By Dan Shapley

Republican candidates for president haven't exactly been beating each other up to prove who'd do the most to combat global warming. But they are keen on discussing energy as a component of national security, and if you listen carefully, you may not hear many details, but you will discern some differences between the candidates.
For more details, click on each candidate's name for his profile.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Giuliani has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Nuclear power, clean coal, natural gas, some renewable energy sources, new exploration for oil and gas in North America and the development of hydrogen fuels. In short, just about everything.
What Sets Him Apart: EnergyStat, a public Web-based database of energy statistics, to 'continuously monitor and measure a selected set of indicators that are specifically tied to the effective management of initiatives on energy independence and climate change.'

Gov. Mike Huckabee
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Huckabee has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Nuclear power, fossil fuel exploration, renewable energy like biofuels and wind power, new coal technology and hydrogen.
What Sets Him Apart: He and Sen. John McCain are the only Republican candidates to endorse the idea of a cap-and-trade regulation to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. He also wants to abolish the income tax, which he says would cut down on consumption by taxing sales instead.

Rep. Duncan Hunter
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Hunter has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Removing taxes on companies that invest in the research and development of alternative energy, and supporting new fossil fuel exploration of the United States, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
What Sets Him Apart: He has said less about energy and the environment than any other candidate.

Sen. John McCain
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, McCain has not outlined a detailed energy plan. But he has discussed the issue in greater detail, and pledged to promote a detailed plan if elected.
What He Supports: Cutting carbon dioxide emissions to combat global warming through support of nuclear power, clean coal and some new fossil fuel exploration in the United States.
What Sets Him Apart: In 2003, he sponsored the first Senate bill to counteract global warming by capping greenhouse gas emissions. Other Republicans in the race are tepid about the issue, setting McCain far, far apart. He's won the endorsement of Republicans for Environmental Protection.

Rep. Ron Paul
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Paul has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Ending all government subsidies for energy but supporting new fossil fuel exploration, opposing greenhouse gas regulations and favoring some tax incentives for renewable energy development and actions that help individuals reduce their energy consumption.
What Sets Him Apart: Paul is by far the most radical candidate, in that he wants to dismantle federal government programs and responsibilities that have become familiar, including many related to energy and the environment.

Gov. Mitt Romney
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Romney has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Just about everything: ethanol, biodiesel, nuclear power, new oil refineries, new oil and gas exploration and liquefied coal.
What Sets Him Apart: He won victory in the Michigan primary in part by pledging to roll back federal fuel economy standards recently signed by President Bush, a position contrary to one he took while governor of Massachusetts.

Sen. Fred Thompson
The Plan: Like most of his fellow Republican candidates, Thompson has not outlined a detailed energy plan.
What He Supports: Fossil fuel exploration, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, investments in research and development of new technology, including into ethanol, liquid coal and nuclear power.
What Sets Him Apart: He has made many skeptical statements about the importance of global warming, but has a stated emphasis on developing technology that reduces carbon dioxide emissions.