Cain Energy Plan: Put Oil And Coal CEOs In Charge Of EPA Regulations

By Lee Fang/think Progress

Today at a campaign stop with the group American Principles Project, Herman Cain took a question about how to increase domestic oil production. Without missing a beat, Cain said that, as president, he would create a special commission to remove environmental and energy regulations at the EPA. Cain explained that the commission would be comprised of businessmen from the coal, oil, shale oil, and natural gas industries because they are the “people closest to the problem.”

Cain then said he would literally appoint the CEO of Shell Oil, presumably current CEO Peter Voser, to the commission because Shell Oil has “been abused by the EPA.” Earlier in his remarks, Cain had riffed for a few moments about how Shell had faced delays in a drilling plan due to EPA regulations:

CAIN: The EPA is the biggest barrier to more permits, more drilling, more shale oil production. So I’m going to have a regulatory reduction commission that I’m going to appoint that’s going to go in and determine how we make things move faster. Some regulations we need. I’m not anti-regulation. I’m just anti-too much regulation. And the people on this commission are going to be people who know something about coal, oil, shale oil, natural gas, and they will be people whose businesses or individuals who have been abused by the EPA. If you’ve been abused by the EPA like Shell Oil, I’m going to ask the CEO of Shell Oil would he like to be on this commission, and give me some recommendations. The people closest to the problem are the ones who can solve the problem.

Watch it:

Later in the day, at his next campaign stop in Iowa Falls, Cain told a campaign supporter about his EPA plan, and said his energy executives-led commission would kill off regulations.

Cain is particularly close to oil CEOs. Shortly after announcing his intention to run for the presidency, Cain met with Charles and David Koch of Koch Industries in Palm Springs, California. As ThinkProgress reported, other oil executives were in attendance.