Perry, Paul Sought Energy Subsidies They Bash

Rick Perry and Ron Paul have been speaking out against federal energy subsidies—in spite of the fact that they actively lobbied to get a Texas company a slice of them three years ago, the Washington Post observes. “We don’t need to be subsidizing energy in any form or fashion,” Perry said Tuesday, and Paul echoed the sentiment in nearly identical terms. But in 2008, both urged the Department of Energy to approve a loan guarantee to expand NRG Energy’s nuclear plant in Texas.

A Perry spokesman says he doesn’t consider loan guarantees to be “subsidizing” a corporation, and said “energy promotion” would be a big part of his campaign. A Paul spokesman, meanwhile, noted that the congressman voted against the loan program when it was created under George W. Bush, and again when the stimulus expanded it, but said that Paul would lobby for the funds so long as they exist. NRG Energy, incidentally, was not approved for the loan guarantee. (More Rick Perry stories.)