On 5/3/2023, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, questioned the Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk. The official could not or would not provide clear answers.
Kennedy: “No—the total cost: How much will it cost to get us carbon neutral? How many trillions?
Turk: I don’t have the estimate or the numbers in front of me. I’ve seen a variety of different estimates, but it’s a large amount, fundamentally transforming our energy economy.
Kennedy: Tell me the estimate, tell me the estimates that you’ve seen.
Turk: I don’t have those numbers right on hand.
Kennedy: So, you’re advocating that we become carbon neutral, but you don’t know how much it’s going to cost?
Turk: So, there’s an awful lot of estimates out there. It depends on technology.
Kennedy: You’re the expert.
Q: You don’t have a cost! You want us to get there, but you can’t tell taxpayer the cost
Kennedy: how much it’s going to cost.
Turk: I know with certainty of all the experts I’ve spoken about, it’s cheaper to get our act together than it is to not get our act together on climate change.
Kennedy: Then tell me the costs vs the cost if we don’t do it.
Turk: I think it’s orders of magnitude different.
Kennedy: You don’t have a cost. You want us to get there, but you can’t tell the American taxpayer how much it’s going to cost. Is that your testimony?
Turk: It’s going to save us money, and there’s a lot of jobs.
Kennedy: Well, how do we know if you don’t know how much it’s going to cost?
Turk: I’d be happy to pull up the latest numbers that I’ve seen.
Kennedy: “How about $50 trillion? Is that right?”
Turk: “It’s going to cost trillions of dollars. There’s no doubt about it.”
Q: Some of your colleagues estimate $50 trillions … you’re not willing to give the estimates
Kennedy: Okay, if we spend trillions of dollars and we achieve… Some of your colleagues estimate $50 trillions, and it disappoints me that you’re not willing to give the estimates. I hope you’re not telling me you have no idea how much it’s going to cost. That creates a whole new host of problems.
Kennedy: But if it costs 50 trillion dollars, as some of your colleagues have testified, to become carbon neutral by 2050, and I’m all for carbon neutrality, by the way, how much is that going to lower world temperatures? Or how much is that going to reduce the increase in world temperatures?
Turk: So, every country around the world needs to get its act together. Our emissions are about 13 percent of global,
Kennedy: yeah, but if you could answer my question, if we spend 50 trillion dollars to become carbon neutral in the United States of America by 2050, you’re the deputy secretary of energy, give me your estimate of how much that is going to reduce world temperatures?
Turk: So, first of all, it’s a net cost. It’s what benefits we’re having from getting our act together and reducing all of those climate benefits we’re seeing.
Q: Let me ask again, maybe I’m not being clear, $50T how much is that going to reduce world temperatures?
Kennedy: Let me ask again, maybe I’m not being clear. If we spent $50 trillion dollars to become carbon neutral by 2050 in the United States of America, how much is that going to reduce world temperatures?
Turk: This is a global problem, so we need to reduce our emissions
Kennedy: How much will it reduce if we do our part?
Turk: Well, we’re 13% of global emissions.
Kennedy: You don’t know, do you? You don’t know, do you? Can you do the math? We need to… You don’t know, do you, Mr. Secretary?
Turk: So, we’re 13%.
Kennedy: If you know, why won’t you tell me?
Turk: If we went to zero, that would be 13%.
Q: you don’t have slightest idea to reduce world temperatures? shame on you for not answering questions
Kennedy: “You don’t know do you? You just want us to spend $50 trillion, and you don’t have the slightest idea whether it’s going to reduce world temperatures. Now I’m all for carbon neutrality, but you’re the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Energy, and you’re advocating we spend trillions of dollars to seek carbon neutrality and you can’t—and this isn’t your money or my money, this is taxpayer money—and you can’t tell me how much it’s going to lower world temperatures or you won’t tell me? You know, but you won’t.”
Turk: In my heart of hearts, there is no way the world gets its act together on climate change unless the US leads.
Kennedy: Tell me how much.
Kennedy: You can’t tell me either, or you won’t. The United States needs… I still have a few seconds. I have 22 seconds. I’m going to use them in a different way. Mr. Secretary, shame on you for not answering the questions.
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Fiery Senate Exchange: Senator Grills Deputy Secretary on Carbon Neutrality Costs!