Democratic National Convention

DENVER – The left’s relationship with domestic fossil fuel production is growing curiosor and curiousor. Despite Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) prime time billing, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer gave the best received speech last night. It was supposedly on renewable energy, but Schweitzer also said: “we have cut more taxes for more Montanans than any time in history, increased energy production at the fastest rate in the history of Montana.”

And where did that ‘fastest rate’ of ‘increased energy production’ come from? Wind accounts for less than 1% of our nation’s energy, and environmentalists won’t let anyone build any new dams, so all of Montana’s new energy must be coming from fossil fuels. Indeed, according to the Energy Information Administration Montana’s “geologic basins hold more than one-fourth of the Nation’s estimated recoverable coal reserves. Montana’s eastern basins also hold large deposits of oil and gas. … Montana accounts for about 4 percent of total U.S. coal production and delivers coal to markets in more than 15 States.”

Schweitzer tried to emphasize alternative sources but he didn’t shy away from admitting his state’s fossil fuel focus: “In Montana, we’re investing in wind farms and we’re drilling in the Bakken formation, one of the most promising oil fields in America.” And the Democrats in the hall cheered wildly. Seems the left wants us to Drill Here. Drill Now. Pay Less.