Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called politicians who want to end federal subsidies for renewable energy “short-sighted” and said they want to “stop [an] energy revolution” during his morning press conference at the National Clean Energy Summit.
“We need to wean ourselves off our dependence of oil and we’d hope our Republican friends would join us in this effort,” said Reid.
Both Reid and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu claimed renewable energy prices were dropping “dramatically” and said lawmakers looking to target energy subsidies should focus on oil and coal as opposed to renewables.
“The oil and coal industries have been helped significantly by subsidies so if you want to look for things to cut, look there,” Reid said.
Reid’s press conference took place before the official start of the National Clean Energy Conference, sponsored by Reid’s office, MGM Resorts International and the liberal think tank Center for American Progress.