Candidate Mark Robinson on Climate and Energy – SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean EnergySACE

In this blog post, we examine the policies and positions of Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for Governor of North Carolina. Also in this series, we profile Democratic candidate Josh Stein.

Chris Carnevale | July 8, 2024

| All, Elections, Energy Policy, North Carolina

This post is part of a series examining the positions of candidates running for public office in the Southeast in 2024 on key energy and climate issues. Note: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party. Links to reports, candidate websites, and outside sources are provided as civic education tools.

In this blog post, we examine the policies and positions of Mark Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina. This series also features Democratic candidate Josh Stein. Election day is November 5, 2024.

Mark Robinson currently serves as Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina after being elected to the state seat in 2020. He previously worked in furniture manufacturing and served in the U.S. Army Reserve. Robinson grew up in Greensboro, graduated from Grimsley High School and earned a degree from UNC Greensboro.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency

Mark Robinson I oppose Governor Cooper’s Offshore Wind Development Goals Robinson Has published on social media apparently in opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act, one of the most important national policies aimed at promoting the use of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.

Climate change

Mark Robinson has given numerous speeches (i.e. this AND this) last year, mocking concerns about climate change, in which he called climate science “lies,” “junk science,” and “pseudoscience,” and referred to science teachers as “liars.”

Robinson he said in a speech last year: “I’ve tried to explain to these people over and over what climate change is. It happens four times a year. It’s summer now. It’ll be fall soon. Then it’ll be winter. Then it’ll be spring. And then the cycle starts over again. That’s the only climate change I believe in.”

As a candidate in the 2020 lieutenant governor race, Robinson he said forum where he will discuss his energy priorities if elected: “If we want to have success in energy and industry in this state and in this country, we have to protect ourselves from the globalist climate change cabal. We have to keep them out of this state. We can do everything we said on this stage tonight about energy, but if these globalist climate change people are going to strangle us at every turn and stop industry and our attempts to build energy infrastructure, it’s not going to work. So as lieutenant governor, that’s one of the things I would focus on most when it comes to energy: keeping the climate change cabal out of this state, and if they’re in this state, keeping them in chains.”

Mark Robinson has proposed eliminating science teaching from primary schools.

Electric transport

Mark Robinson I talked about electric vehicles in a speech last year in which he said, “People are going around talking about electric cars and the end of oil and all that crap.”

Energy Equity and Energy Burden

As lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson promoted growth fossil fuel production as a path to economic benefits and affordable energy, and has he expressed concern that offshore wind energy is too expensive for energy consumers.

High Risk Energy: Coal, Nuclear, Oil, Gas

Mark Robinson supports expanding the extraction and use of fossil fuels. In speeches last year, Robinson characterized increased oil drilling as a divine command and he said on the country’s oil reserves, “We have to start getting that oil out of the ground now. Now! Not in five years, not in ten years, not in two years.”

As Lieutenant Governor, Mark Robinson supports the Mountain Valley Southgate pipeline project and has sent a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission expressing his support for the project.

Robinson published on social media in opposition to President Biden’s decision to suspend the issuance of permits for the construction of new liquefied natural gas export terminals.

Voter Information

Election Day is November 5. Here are the important dates and deadlines to consider, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections:

• September 6, 2024: County election boards begin mailing absentee ballots to eligible voters who have submitted an absentee ballot application form.
• October 11, 2024: Voter registration deadline (5:00 p.m.).*
• October 17, 2024: In-person early voting begins; same-day registration is available.
• October 29, 2024: Deadline for submitting applications for postal voting (5:00 p.m.).*
• November 2, 2024: End of early voting at the company’s registered office (3:00 p.m.).
• November 5, 2024: general election day.
• November 5, 2024: Deadline for returning absentee ballots (7:30 p.m.).*

*Voter registration and postal voting deadlines vary for military voters and foreign citizens.

Find additional important election information Here.

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