THERE WITH ALL THESE HOTSY TOTSY
VEHICLE, KELLY, I
WANT TO GO TO WHAT HE MAKES OF
THIS , THE SENATOR FROM THE
BEAUTIFUL STATE OF NORTH
DAKOTA, AND THE SENATORS BEEN
WARNING ABOUT THIS OVERRELIANCE
ON A GRID, ELECTRICITY, RIGHT
NOW BECAUSE WE MIGHT NOT BE UP
TO SNUFF AND GIVEN THIS PUSH,
SENATOR, ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU
TO GET INTO THESE VEHICLES AND
INCENTIVIZE US TO GET INTO THESE
VEHICLES, IT DOESN’T SOUND LIKE
THE GRIDS ARE UP TO THAT DEMAND.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?
>> THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT, NEIL.
GOOD TO BE WITH YOU, AND YOU AND
I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS
AND HERE WE GO AGAIN.
I MEAN, HERE WE GO AGAIN.
IT’S HOT IN CALIFORNIA AND
ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE
GOING TO HAVE TO SET THEIR
THERMOSTATS AT ALMOST 80 DEGREES
THEY WANT ALL THIS ELECTRICITY
FOR THEIR ELECTRIC VEHICLES BUT
AT THE SAME TIME AND OF COURSE
IT’S JUST REVERSED IN THE WINTER
WHEN IT’S VERY COLD, AND HERE
YOU’VE GOT AN ADMINISTRATION
THAT IS TAKING OUT THE KIND OF
BASE LOAD THAT WE PROVIDE.
COAL FIRED BASE LOAD, DEPENDABLE
, LOW COST, YOU KNOW
IT’S GOING TO BE THERE.
THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP, AND THAT’S WHY, YOU
KNOW, AGAIN, THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION IS HANDCUFFING
OUR ENERGY PRODUCERS WHETHER
IT’S OIL OR GAS OR BASE LOAD,
AND YOU’RE SEEING RAMIFICATIONS.
WE HAVE LESS ENERGY, IT MEANS
HIGHER COSTS AT THE PUMP, IT
MEANS HIGHER COSTS IN THE
GROCERY STORE AND REMEMBER,
IT’S NOT JUST ALL OF THOSE
FACTORS.
ENERGY SECURITY IS NATIONAL
SECURITY.
SO FOR ALL THESE REASONS, WE’VE
GOT TO GET BACK TO A COMMON
SENSE APPROACH THAT ALLOWS US TO
PRODUCE ALL THESE SOURCES OF
ENERGY, AND THAT ALSO THEN WILL
ENABLE US TO ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES WITH THE GRID.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, SENATOR, MAYBE
YOU CAN EDUCATE ME ON THIS BUT
IN THAT CLIMATE CHANGE BILL,
INFLATION REDUCTION BILL,
WHATEVER THEY’RE CALLING IT
IRONICALLY THERE IS SUPPORT FOR
TRADITIONAL ENERGY, OR AT
LEAST ALLOW LOOK FOR MORE OIL,
OR TRADITIONAL ENERGY IN REMOTE
AREAS INCLUDING AN OCEANS, ET
CETERA.
IS THAT IN THERE FOR GOOD?
AND WHAT ARE YOUR WORRIES IF IT
ISN’T?
>> WELL, WE’VE WORKED VERY HARD
TO GET IS A 45Q CREDIT WHICH
REALLY HELPS THE BASE LOAD
CONTINUE AND DEPLOY THESE NEW
TECHNOLOGIES THAT CAPTURE CO T.
WE’RE LEADING THE NATION, WE
HAVE TWO COAL FIRED ELECTRIC
PLANTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD
WITH CARBON CAPTURE.
WE HAVE A COAL GASIFICATION
FACILITY THAT ACTUALLY TAKES
COAL PRODUCERS SYNTHETIC NATURAL
GAS, FERTILIZER AND OTHER
PRODUCTS, AND THEY’RE ALREADY
MOVING FORWARD WITH CARBON
CAPTURE, SO THAT’S THE POINT I’M
MAKING.
WE CAN KEEP THIS BASE LOAD IN
PLACE AND AT THE SAME TIME, HAVE
THE BEST ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP AND WE NEED THAT
ENERGY, NOT ONLY FOR THE
INTEGRITY OF THE GRID
BUT JUST TO MEET THE ENERGY
DEMAND OF OUR COUNTRY AND DO IT
COST EFFECTIVELY AND DEPENDABLE.
NEIL: THAT’S APPARENTLY ONE OF
THE REASONS WHY JOE MANCHIN IN
THE END VOTED FOR THIS BECAUSE
IT DID PROVIDE THOSE PROTECTIONS
, AND NOT A
SINGLE REPUBLICAN DID INCLUDING
YOURSELF.
>> BUT NEIL, THE PROBLEM IS
IT’S A BIG TAX AND SPEND THAT
NEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE.
WE FOUGHT AND FOUGHT TO GET
THESE THINGS IN OTHER PLACES
AND AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A TAX
AND SPEND MONSTROUS IT AND IT
SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PASSED.
NEIL: SENATOR WHILE I HAVE YOU
HERE, YOUR COLLEAGUE, ON THE
REPUBLICAN SIDE, MITCH
MCCONNELL, WAS RAISING SOME
SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT MAYBE
REPUBLICANS GETTING AHEAD OF
THEMSELVES ABOUT FLIPPING THE
SENATE IN NOVEMBER.
I WANT YOU TO REACT TO THIS ,
MITCH MCCONNELL.
>> PROBABLY A GREATER
LIKELIHOOD THE HOUSE FLIPS THAN
THE SENATE.
SENATE RACES ARE JUST DIFFERENT.
THEY’RE STATEWIDE, CANDIDATE
QUALITY HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE
OUTCOME.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A 50/50 SENATE
AND A 50/50 COUNTRY, BUT I THINK
WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, IT’S
WE’RE LIKELY TO HAVE AN EXTREME
LY CLOSE SENATE,
EITHER OUR SIDE UP SLIGHTLY OR
THEIR SIDE UP SLIGHTLY.
NEIL: I NOTICED IN HIS REMARKS,
SENATOR, HIS WORRIES OVER
CANDIDATE QUALITY, AND MUCH HAS
BEEN SAID ABOUT SOME OF THE
EVENTUAL REPUBLICAN NOMINEES
TO TAKE BACK THE SENATE, THAT
THEY MIGHT NOT BE UP TO SNUFF
AND MIGHT NOT WIN, AND WHATEVER
HAPPENS IN THE HOUSE, REPUBLICAN
S TRYING TO TAKE OVER
THE SENATE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
>> WE HAVE GOOD CANDIDATES.
HE’S JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW IT
IS VERY CHALLENGING TO TAKE BACK
THE SENATE.
WE’RE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE HOUSE
IT IS GOING TO BE MORE CHALLENG
ING IN THE SENATE
BECAUSE WE HAVE FAR MORE RACES
THAT WE HAVE TO DEFEND THAN THE
DEMOCRATS DO, SO I THINK
HE’S BEING CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE
THAT EVERYBODY KEEPS THEIR NOSE
TO THE GRINDSTONE REALLY WORKS
HARD, TAKES NOTHING FOR GRANTED
BUT WE DO HAVE GOOD CANDIDATES
AND ON THE ISSUES, ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE
ISSUES WHETHER IT’S THIS OUT
OF CONTROL SPENDING, TAXATION,
REGULATION.
LOOK, ENERGY COSTS LIKE WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT, HOW ABOUT BORDER
SECURITY?
SOMETHING YOU AND I HAVE TALKED
ABOUT A LOT INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT
, LAW ENFORCEMENT,
SUPPORT FOR OUR MILITARY, ON ALL
THESE ISSUES, I THINK WE’RE IN
STRONG SHAPE.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT, WE’LL HAVE TO
FOLLOW IT CLOSELY, SENATOR GREAT