Perry says he’s changed on energy loans

October 30, 2011

Politico

Texas Gov. Rick Perry acknowledged Sunday that he has changed his position on federal loans to energy companies.

"Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace pressed the Republican presidential candidate on a 2008 letter he wrote to the energy secretary, seeking federal support of a nuclear power generating facility in Texas.

"From a general standpoint, any type of federal dollars flowing into these industries we think is bad public policy, whether it’s the ethanol side, whether it’s nuclear power side, whether it’s oil and gas side," Perry said.

"Let me just tell you: I’ve changed my position from the standpoint of having any desire to have the federal government," he said. "I’ve learned some things over the course of the years, and what I’ve learned is the federal government, by and large, you keep ‘em out of these issues, particularly on the energy side."

"Let the market figure it out," he added. "Are you going to have the federal government making some impact on the nuclear energy side from the standpoint of research and development or having places to be able to deal with these spent fuels and reprocess them? Yes. But giving straight up money to energy? Do away with it."

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