PARTIAL TRANSCRIPT of Senator Obama's January 17 remarks to the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board on coal plants and electricity prices:
Let, le--, le--, le--, le--, let me sort of describe my overall policy.
I mean, what I've said is that we would put a, uh, cap-and-trade system in place that is more, that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody’s else's out there.
I was the first to call for a 100% auction on the cap-and-trade system, ah, which means that every unit of carbon or greenhouse gases was emitted would be charged, uh, to the polluter.
That will create a market in which whatever technologies are out there that are being presented, whatever power plants that are being built, that they would have to meet tho--, the rigors of that market and, and the ratcheted-down, ah, caps that are placed, imposed every year.
So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them becuz they're gonna be charged a huge sum for all that, uh, greenhouse gas that's being emitted.
* * * * *
The, the, the problem is not technical and the problem is not su--, uh, you know, sufficient mastery of the legislative intricacies of Washington.
The problem is, eh, can you get the American people to say, "This is really important," and force their representatives to do the right thing?
Ah, that requires mobilizing a, a citizenry. That inquires [see note] them understanding what is at stake, uh, you know, and, and climate change is a great example.
You know, when I was asked earlier about, uh, the issue of coal, uh, y--, you know, under my plan a--, of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.
Even, you know, regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad, because I’m capping greenhouse gases, coal-powered plants, you know, natural ga--, you name i--, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to, uh, retrofit their operations.
That would cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.
They, you can already, uh, you can already see what the arguments are gonna be during the general election.
People will say, uh, "Obama and Al Gore, these folks, they’re gonna destroy the economy; this is gonna cost us $8 trillion," or whatever their number is.
Uh, if you can’t persuade the American people that, yes, there’s gonna be some increase in electricity rates on the front end, but that, w--, over the long term, because of a combinations of more efficient energy usage and changing light bulbs and more efficient appliances, uh, but also technology improving how we can produce clean energy, that the economy will benefit.
If we can’t make that argument persuasively enough, you, you, you can, uh, you can be Lyndon Johnson; you can be the master of Washington; you’re not gonna get that done.
NOTE: The context requires requires, but Mr. Obama's word clearly sounded more like inquires than requires.
UPDATE: Thanks for the link from Lose an Eye.
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