Episode 3 | Clean Conservatism | ClearPath Foundation
In my third episode of Energy Cast, I visited with Rich Powell, Managing Director of Policy & Strategy for ClearPath Foundation.
ClearPath is a conservative-leaning think tank with offices in Washington, DC, and Charlotte. The Foundation was the brainchild of Jay Faison, an entrepreneur probably best known for creating the audio/visual company SnapAV.
They claim that "the left has owned the debate" on energy issues, and wants to make more conservative views heard in the mainstream. That includes a collection of "Clean Energy Pillars," which are:
- Technological Innovation
- Nuclear
- Natural Gas
- Clean Coal
- Hydropower
I found ClearPath fascinating because while they support conventional baseload power--gas, coal, nuclear--they also ascribe climate change to human activity, and believe less carbon is a benefit to humanity.
During our conversation, we discussed what "conservative clean energy solutions" really means, why climate change has been such a left/right issue, the benefits of lobbyists (!!!) when it comes to "making the sausage," and even Captain Planet.
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