President Obama Assures Audience Green Energy Is Not a 'Socialist Plot

At a $25,000-a-plate fundraiser in Los Angeles Sunday evening, President Barack Obama assured donors that his administration's pricey and oftentimes risky involvement in the "green" energy is not part of a "socialist plot," The Hill reports.

"On energy, I’m big on oil and gas, and developing clean coal technology, but I also believe that if we’re ever going to have control of our energy future, then we’ve got to invest in solar and wind and biofuels, and that it does make sense for us to double our fuel-efficiency standards on cars," the president told an audience that included noted actor George Clooney.

"And that's not a socialist plot for us to reduce our energy usage," the president said to laughter, according to the transcript. "It’s the smart thing to do. It’s right for our national energy. It’s right for our economy. It’s right for the environment. [Romney] disagrees."

Although the president’s remarks weren’t entirely specific, he was probably referring to the Romney campaign's response to "new auto mileage rules for model years 2017-2025 that will ultimately require automakers to build cars and light trucks with a fleet-wide average of 54.5 miles-per-gallon," The Hill notes.

The Romney campaign called these new rules "extreme," and claimed they will "limit the choices available to American families."

But there's something else that should be noted: President Obama's remarks to supporters in L.A. seem to imply Romney is anti-alternative energy. This isn't entirely accurate.

Indeed, based on the energy plan put out by the Romney campaign, it would be more accurate to say the Romney campaign simply disagrees with how President Obama has approached it.

"[Romney] will allow the wind credit to expire, end the stimulus boondoggles, and create a level playing field on which all sources of energy can compete on their merits. Wind energy will thrive wherever it is economically competitive, and wherever private sector competitors with far more experience than the president believe the investment will produce results,” said Romney spokesman Shawn McCoy.

Based on how investments in companies such as Solyndra, Fisker, and Abound Solar have turned out, perhaps the Romney approach isn't such a bad idea.

"The goal of my energy policy is straightforward: guarantee America the most affordable and reliable supply in the world," Romney’s platform said.

“In place of real energy, Obama has focused on an imaginary world where government-subsidized windmills and solar panels could power the economy. This vision has failed … as president, I will unleash American innovation and productivity to make full use of our natural resources," the platform adds.

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Front page photo courtesy the AP.