MJ’s Record on Energy

Hegar Supports A Cap-And-Trade System — Which, During The Obama Era, Raised Dire Economic Concerns For Texas 

On A February 2020 Questionnaire, Hegar Said She Supported A Cap And Trade System For Carbon. QUESTION: “Would you support a cap-and-trade plan in an effort to reduce carbon emissions?” ANSWER: “Yes. Climate change is the greatest threat to the health and safety of our communities, the world we are leaving for the next generation and our national security. We must set aggressive goals for the expansion of clean, renewable energy, and invest in clean energy manufacturing and sustainable transportation. Texas has the opportunity to be America’s leader in wind and solar energy, and we should use our natural, renewable resources to create jobs in our state.” (Matthew Watkins, Darla Cameron And Anna Novak, “How Are The Top Democratic U.S. Senate Candidates In Texas Different? We Asked Them 11 Questions To Find Out.,” Texas Tribune, 2/12/20)

According To The Heritage Foundation, The Obama-Era Waxman-Markey Cap-And-Trade Bill Would Have Hit The State Of Texas, Between 2012-2035, With The Following Average Annual Costs:

  • Reduced Gross State Product: $26.128 Billion
  • Reduced Personal Income: $9.187 Billion
  • Jobs Destroyed: 94,041
  • Raised Electricity Prices: $890.59 Per Household
  • Raised Gasoline Prices: $0.62 Per Gallon

(David Kreutzer, Ph.D., et. al, “Impact of the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Legislation On Texas,” Heritage Foundation, 8/19/09)

Hegar Has Said She Would Support A Carbon Tax, Including A Proposal That Would Eventually Reach A $115-Per-Ton Tax

In 2020, Hegar Said She Stands With The Sierra Club In Supporting A Carbon Tax, And Said She Would Have Backed Legislation Co-Sponsored By Congresswoman Escobar Imposing A Carbon Tax. QUESTION: “You talked about diversifying the energy sources. But we still have fossil fuels and they’re still relatively inexpensive. One proposal to deal with that is the carbon fee and dividend proposal, which is where you would have a fee on fossil fuel emissions to be paid as a dividend directly to American households as a way of mitigating climate change. What is your opinion of this idea?” HEGAR: “You know, I stand with the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club who support it but understand that it’s not a silver bullet, that we actually do need to be taking a more wholistic approach. There’s only, I believe, 11 countries that have a carbon fee and we need to make sure we do it right. You know, Congresswoman Escobar down in El Paso co-sponsored a bill that I would have supported. We just need to make sure we’re not enabling the industry to just pass on those costs to the consumer and put an undue burden on already over-burned middle class.” (MJ Hegar, Remarks At League Of Women Voters Of The San Antonio Area & KLRN Candidate Forum, 7/2/20; 31:15-32:18)

Hegar In August 2020: “I Stand With The League Of Conservation Voters And The Sierra Club, Who Support A Carbon Tax…” “If Biden wins, and if you’re in the Senate, it’s pretty likely that there’s going to be climate legislation. I think it’s widely agreed among economists and others that meaningful climate legislation will mean, in some form or another, a carbon tax. Will you support that? You know, I stand with the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club, who support a carbon tax but also understand that it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t just pass the burden on to the middle class and to economically disadvantaged areas that are going to have to pay more for gasoline and for milk and for transportation and things like that.” (Jeff Goodell, “Is Texas Ready For A Democratic Senator? MJ Hegar Thinks So,” Rolling Stone, 8/14/20)

The “Energy Innovation And Carbon Dividend Act” Imposes A $15-Per-Metric-Ton Fee On Carbon That Would Increase By $10 Per Year, With Net Revenue Used To Fund A Household Rebate. “A group of House lawmakers last night floated the first bipartisan carbon tax bill in nearly a decade, a move that boosters are calling a big step for climate policy heading into the next Congress. The ‘Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act’ would put a $15-per-metric-ton fee on carbon, rising by $10 per year, with net revenue given back to households as a rebate. A co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.), is the lead sponsor of the bill, joined by Reps. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), John Delaney (D-Md.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Charlie Crist (D-Fla.). The bill isn’t likely to pass in this Congress, but the co-sponsors say it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by a third in only a decade and 90 percent by 2050, all compared with 2015 levels.” (Nick Sobczyk, “Lawmakers Roll Out Landmark Bipartisan Carbon Bill,” E&E News, 11/28/18)

  • Under The Proposal, The Carbon Tax Would Eventually Reach $115 Per Ton By 2030, Which “Averages Out To A 24 Percent Annual Increase—Higher Than Any Other Recent Climate Proposal.” “Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act: The bipartisan measure sponsored by Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Fla.) would levy a carbon tax beginning at $15 per ton, escalating by $10 annually, and reaching $115 a ton by 2030. That averages out to a 24 percent annual increase—higher than any other recent climate proposal.” (Marianne Lavelle, “Carbon Tax Plans: How They Compare And Why Oil Giants Support One Of Them,” Inside Climate News, 3/7/19)