Rick Perry opposes energy subsidies at Hampton Town Hall Meeting

Rick Perry laid out his opposition to federal government subsidies for the energy industry today at an early morning Town Hall Meeting held in Hampton, New Hampshire. 

Video and transcript of Perry's comments: 

Rick Perry: Let me talk about the energy industry for a moment, because that’s a big one and its where America really needs to be focused from the standpoint of how we get this country economically back working and in one of the fastest ways is in the energy industry.

Because Texas in the last decade became the leader in wind energy. We committed to using our state incentives. I believe if a state wants to use its resources in an incentive based way, that is that state’s call. But not the federal government. I don’t think the federal government should be involved in picking winners and losers in any industries.

So I want to talk about, you know there are subsidies that are in the energy industry today for ethanol production. There are tax breaks for the oil and gas industry. I feel comfortable that if you remove the onerous regulations that come out of all of these agencies. I can’t tell you what the cost is just of the EPA on the energy industry, but it is going to be substantial. And remove those regulations from the backs of those that are out there, trying to find the different sources of energy. And then let the marketplace decide which one of those or how many of those are going to be competitive or not.

I’ve got great faith that the farmers in the Midwest, some of the greatest in the world are going to do just fine.

I know for a fact that you go to the Pennsylvania - where they have the Marcellus Shale and allow them to safely produce that natural gas – that that is how America gets back to work. And it’s also how America becomes domestic energy independent. And by doing that we put this country back on track and back on track.