WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s speech on climate: 

“The central feature of the president’s climate agenda is command-and-control regulations that will drive up energy costs for all Americans. This is exactly the opposite of what we should be seeking from our energy and environmental policies.

“In the past several years, we’ve already seen substantial decreases in greenhouse gas emissions thanks to low natural gas prices, improved vehicle efficiency and other trends. Unfortunately, economic stagnation contributed to those emission decreases as well, and that is an experience we should avoid repeating.

“Addressing climate change will require continued American innovation, but the president does not have the power to will technologies into existence through sheer force or scope of regulation. That will require a longer-term commitment to basic, scientific research that enables genuine breakthroughs. Instead, the president is again putting us on a path where government dictates circumvent elected representatives in Congress.

“The president leaves tomorrow for Africa. I encourage him to note what life looks like in parts of the continent where people do not have – or cannot afford – access to energy.  At home and abroad, the benefits of affordable energy are apparent. Those benefits should be embraced, and I laid out a balanced plan earlier this year in a document called Energy 20/20 to pursue them. If the president wants to make progress toward reducing the emissions blamed for climate change he should adopt the recommendations it contains.”

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