Rick Perry
Credentials
- Rick Perry graduated Texas A&M University in 1972. He majored in animal science.1โTexas Governor Rick Perry,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived May 24, 2011. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Background
Former Texas Republican Governor James Richard (Rick) Perry was Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Energy, approved for the position in January 2017. He served as Secretary of Energy until stepping down late 2019.2Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC 3โRick Perry confirmation vote: former Texas governor heads to full Senate,โ CBS News, January 31, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Zg15Q 4โPerry ends final day as Energy secretary,โ The Hill, December 1, 2019. Archived January 3, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/wip/NBl2u
Rick Perry served as the 47th governor of Texas, sworn in on December 21, 2000 and was elected to four-year terms in 2002, 2006, and 2010. Perry began his political career in 1985, working as a representative for a rural West Texas district in the state House of Representatives. He was elected to statewide office in 1990, and served as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture for two terms. Perry graduated Texas A&M University in 1972.5โTexas Governor Rick Perry,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived May 24, 2011. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Following Rick Perry’s appointment by Donald Trump as Energy Secretary, Perry resigned from his position on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.6Patrick Svitek. โRick Perry resigns from board of Dallas company building Dakota Access Pipeline,โ The Texas Tribune, January 5, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5CD69
In the past, Perry has said that global warming is an unproven scientific theory and that climate has changed since the Earth was formed. He has also opposed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), suing the agency on the climate issue in 2010. He has also advocated to reduce restrictions on oil and gas drilling, saying that there is little proof that hydraulic fracturing (fracking) contaminates groundwater. Perry is the author of Fed Up!, a 2010 book where he speculated that the earth was โexperiencing a cooling trend.โ7Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8 8Forrest Wilder. โ2012 was Hottest Year on Record for Texas, U.S.โ The Texas Observer, January 10, 2013. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qYPLE
During his 14 years as governor, Texas filed 19 lawsuits agains the EPA. Perry has also called the EPA a โcemetery for jobs.โ9Neon Satija. โTexas vs. the Feds โ A Look at the Lawsuits,โ The Texas Tribune, January 17, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mfzqE
Rick Perry & the U.S. Energy Department
Rick Perry made what the Washington Post described as โthe worst stumble of the presidential campaignโ during a 2011 Republican presidential debate when he struggled to remember the name of the third federal agency he would eliminate if he became president (the Energy Department, which he now runs). Video below.10Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker. โRick Perry stumbles badly in Republican presidential debate,โ The Washington Post, November 10, 2011. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/saPkU
โIt is three agencies of government when I get there that are gone,โ he said, beginning to lay out one of the staples of his stump speech. โCommerce, Education, and the โ whatโs the third one there? Letโs see,โ Perry said.
โCommerce and, letโs see,โ he continued. โI canโt. The third one, I canโt. Sorry. Oops.โ11Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker. โRick Perry stumbles badly in Republican presidential debate,โ The Washington Post, November 10, 2011. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/saPkU
In 2016, The New York Times (NYT) discussed Perry as the pick as Energy Secretary, noting that Perry would be heading a post that he once wanted to eliminate. NYT notes that the agency is far more devoted to national security than it is to the extraction of fossil fuels that is Perry’s expertise.12Coral Davenport. โRick Perry, Ex-Governor of Texas, Is Trumpโs Pick as Energy Secretary,โ New York Times, December 13, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fo8Oa
โThe Rick Perry choice is so perplexing,โ said former Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, who previously led the committee that oversees the Energy Departmentโs budget.
โI think very few people understand that the Energy Department, to a very substantial degree, is dealing with nuclear weapons,โ he said. โAnd Rick Perry suggested the agency should be abolished. That suggests he thinks it doesnโt have value.โ13Coral Davenport. โRick Perry, Ex-Governor of Texas, Is Trumpโs Pick as Energy Secretary,โ New York Times, December 13, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fo8Oa
Mother Jones noted a potential conflict of interest in Perry’s position on nuclear waste given his past association with Waste Control Specialists (WCS), a company eager to get in on interim storage for nuclear waste that applied for a license with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2016.14Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
WCS had formerly lobbied the Texas legislature for six years in order to pass legislation that would allow private companies to be responsible for low-level nuclear waste. That legislation passed in 2003 and was signed by Perry. When WCS applied for a state license to handle waste, a panel of state engineers and geologists found in 2007 that groundwater contamination at the proposed disposal sate was โhighly likely.โ15Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
Despite this, members on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (appointed by Perry) signed off on the license. Three staffers at the agency resigned in protest over the decision. โWe knew from the beginning that this permit was intended to be issued,โ Glenn Lewis, a member of the review panel, said in a 2011 interview with NPR.16Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
Critics noted that Harold Simmons, since deceased, had been one of Perry’s largest financial contributors over the years, contributing over $1.3 million to his campaigns.17Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
โLo and behold, the company that lobbied to get the legislation passed and gave lots of political contributions was the only applicant, so it was a real corporate sweetheart deal,โ Cyrus Reed of the Texas Sierra Club said.18Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
Climate change denier Kathleen Hartnett-White, whom Perry appointed to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from 2001 to 2007, called Perryโs leadership โa win for the environment and a win for the economy.โ19Neon Satija. โThe Perry Legacy: Environment,โ The Texas Tribune, December 28, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aRfas
Energy Industry Connections
Some critics brought up potential conflicts of interest regarding Perry’s appointment at the Energy Department, noting he sat as a board member for two pipeline companies that are part of Energy Transfer, the group behind the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline among others in South Texas.20Sophia Stamas. โSome call Trump administration job conflict of interest for Perry,โ CBS Austin, December 13, 2016. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/NSHPE 21Leif Reigstad. โExamining Rick Perryโs and Rex Tillersonโs Potential Conflicts of Interest,โ Texas Monthly, December 19, 2016. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iJlit
โI don’t know if you could have a worse pick for Secretary of Energy than a person who is so much in bed with the fossil fuel energy sector,โ said Robin Schneider, executive director of Texas Campaign for the Environment.
Rick Perry has received more than $11 million from 1998 to 2010 in campaign contributions from the Oil and Gas industry. Top oil and energy industry contributors include $189,188 from ExxonMobil, $147,895 from Valero Energy, and $116,000 from Koch Industries.22Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC 23Brad Johnson. โRick Perry Is Big Oilโs Million Man,โ ThinkProgress, August 15, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Sqb1o
In February, 2015, Rick Perry was named a board member of Energy Transfer Partners. DeSmog reported that while Perry promised he would not publicly advocate for the Dakota Access pipeline in Iowa, he had already promoted the pipeline just two days prior to his appointment on the board of the company. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren, a major donor who contributed $250,000 to Perry’s 2012 presidential super PAC, was on the advisory board of Rick PAC which helped fund Perry’s 2016 presidential campaign. Warren contributed a total of $6 million to Super PACs supporting Perry.24Steve Horn. โFacing Felony Charges, Rick Perry Joins Board of Energy Transfer Partners, Owner of Proposed Oil Pipeline Across Iowa,โ DeSmog, February 6, 2015.
Rick Perry & The EPA
Rick Perry sued the EPA multiple times between 2009 and 2011. When 17 states sued the EPA over new regulations that would control global warming, Texas was the only state to pursue an โunfriendlyโ approach, as described by the National Journal. While other states simultaneously worked on plans of compliance with the EPA in case their lawsuits fell through, Texas was the only state that did not opt for what experts described as the โfriendly FIP [federal implementation program].โ Perry made it clear that Texas would not comply.25Coral Davenport. โRick Perryโs Air War,โ National Journal, September 10, 2011. Archived October 21, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/RBjdC
Talking with The Texas Observer, Ken Kramer of the Sierra Club compared Perry with George W. Bush’s time as governor:26Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
โI never felt that Bush was anti-environmental so much as clueless about the environment,โ said Kramer. โI see Perry as more proactively carrying out an anti-environmental agenda primarily for political purposes.โ
Perry said that, in suing the EPA, the state was โdefend[ing] Texasโs freedom to continue our successful environmental strategies free from federal overreach.โ27Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
Stance on Climate Change
January, 2017
Speaking in prepared testimony on global warming, Perry said:28Reena Flores. โRick Perry regrets push to eliminate Energy Department,โ CBS News, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YYi1u
โI believe some of it is naturally occurring, but some of it is also caused by man-made activity.โ
โThe question is how do we address it in a thoughtful way that doesnโt compromise economic growth, the affordability of energy or American jobs,โ he added.29Reena Flores. โRick Perry regrets push to eliminate Energy Department,โ CBS News, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YYi1u
Dallas News reports that he said flatly that โclimate is changingโ and that some of the cause is human activity.30Tom Benning. โRick Perry clears first hurdle to becoming energy secretary, signalling easy confirmation,โ Dallas News, January 31, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/04TiT
June 2014
Speaking with reporters at a hotel near the White House, Rick Perry criticized Obama’s policies on climate change and cutting carbon emissions. Speaking of oil and gas exploration, including the Keystone pipeline, Perry said:31Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
โI donโt believe that we have the settled science by any sense of the imagination to stop that kind of economic opportunity.โ32Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
Perry also said that reducing the use of coal would โstrangle our economy.โ33Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
โCalling CO2 a pollutant is doing a disservice the country, and I believe a disservice to the world,โ he said.34Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
โIโm not a scientist,โ he said. But โshort term, Iโm substantially more concerned about Iran changing the temperature of New York,โ he said, alluding to potential nuclear conflict.35Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
September 7, 2011
Speaking at the 2012 Republican presidential debate, Rick Perry said climate change science was โnot settledโ:36โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
โWell, I do agree that there is โ the science is โ is not settled on this. The idea that we would put Americans’ economy at โ at โ at jeopardy based on scientific theory that’s not settled yet, to me, is just โ is nonsense. I mean, it โ I mean โ and I tell somebody, I said, just because you have a group of scientists that have stood up and said here is the fact, Galileo got outvoted for a spell.37โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
But the fact is, to put America’s economic future in jeopardy, asking us to cut back in areas that would have monstrous economic impact on this country is not good economics and I will suggest to you is not necessarily good science. Find out what the science truly is before you start putting the American economy in jeopardy.โ38โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
Responding to a followup question on whether there were โspecific scientists or specific theories that you’ve found especially compelling,โ Perry said:39โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
โLet me tell you what I find compelling, is what we’ve done in the state of Texas, using our ability to regulate our clean air. We cleaned up our air in the state of Texas, more than any other state in the nation during the decade. Nitrous oxide levels, down by 57 percent. Ozone levels down by 27 percent.40โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
That’s the way you need to do it, not by some scientist somewhere saying, โHere is what we think is happening out there.โ The fact of the matter is, the science is not settled on whether or not the climate change is being impacted by man to the point where we’re going to put America’s economics in jeopardy.โ41โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
August 2011
Speaking to an audience of voters in Bedford, N.H., Rick Perry claimed that global warming was an unproven theory and that scientists had been manipulating data:42Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
We are seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change. Yes, our climate’s changed โ they’ve been changing ever since the Earth was formed.โ43Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
Without referencing sources, Perry said that implementing โanti-carbon programsโ would cost billions of dollars.44Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
โI don’t think, from my perspective, that I want America to be engaged in spending that much money on what is still a scientific theory that hasn’t been proven, and from my perspective is more and more being put into question,โ he said.45Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
Again, without citing sources, Perry claimed:46Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
โ[T]here are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects.โ47Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
2010
The Washington Post reported that Perry’s book Fed Up! outlined a number of his views on climate change, where he mentioned things like โdoctored dataโ and โso-called science.โ48โWashington Post Editorial: Perry is no champion of science,โ The Salt Lake Tribune, December 15, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/RQPVw
โIt’s all one contrived phoney mess that is falling apart under its own weight,โ he declared. โAl Gore is a prophet all right, a false prophet of a secular carbon cult.โ
According to The Texas Observer, Perry also speculated that the planet was โexperiencing a cooling trend.โ49Forrest Wilder. โ2012 was Hottest Year on Record for Texas, U.S.โ The Texas Observer, January 10, 2013. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qYPLE
Key Quotes
March 7, 2018
During his speech at CERA Week Perry claimed it was โimmoralโ for poor nations to pivot away from fossil fuels:50โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
โLook those people in the eyes that are starving and tell them you canโt have electricity,โ Perry said in his speech. โBecause as a society we decided fossil fuels were bad. I think that is immoral.โ51โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
January 2017
In 2017, after being chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to lead the Department of Energy, Perry said that he regretted his previous statements about eliminating the very department he sought to lead. In his confirmation hearing, Perry said:52Michael Collins. โRick Perry: I’ve changed my mind about eliminating Energy Dept.โ USA Today, January 19, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VL237#selection-5007.0-5007.63 53โWhat we learned from Rick Perry’s confirmation hearing,โ The Hill, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bOJHg
โMy past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking,โ Perry said during his confirmation hearing. โIn fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.โ
February 27, 2015
Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Rick Perry said that he cares about โreal pollution,โ but not about reducing carbon dioxide emissions. He said Texas โdecreased our nitrogen oxide levels, which by the way is real. Itโs a real emission. He then highlighted emissions reductions that took place while he was governor. โOur carbon dioxide levels were down, whether you believe in this whole climate change concept or not,โ he said.54Rebecca Leber. โRick Perry: I Care About ‘Real’ Pollution, Not Climate Change,โ New Republic, February 27, 2015. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eTppB
December 18, 2011
Rick Perry reacted after a student questioned his support for fracking during an event in Decorah, Iowa, Politico reported:55Patrick Reis. โHouse to reject Senate Keystone, payroll pact – Utility MACT on tap this week – Rig sinks off Russian coast – Industry angry over GOP’s light bulb bluster,โ Politico, December 19, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nImVW
โWe can have this conversation, but you cannot show me one place โ not one! โ where there is a proven pollution of groundwater by hydraulic fracturing,โ Perry told 22-year-old Carrie Kaufmann, a student at Luther College. โI am truly offended that the American public would be hoodwinked by stories that do not scientifically hold up.โ
October 12, 2011
Speaking to a crowd of Hoosier State Republicans, Perry accused the Obama administration of pursuing an โactivist agendaโ:56Michael Conroy. โPerry gives Indiana audience a preview of his energy proposal,โ CBS News, October 12, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nUnFL
โThe next economic boom is right under our feet. Our own oil resources alone are vast enough to meet the next 300 years of energy demand at today’s levels,โ he said. โโฆ And what has been this administration’s response to our energy potential? They’ve thrown up every bureaucratic obstacle possible in order to advance an activist agenda.โ57Michael Conroy. โPerry gives Indiana audience a preview of his energy proposal,โ CBS News, October 12, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nUnFL
September, 2011
Speaking with a Tea Party group, Rick Perry described the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a โcemetery for jobsโ:58โRick Perry: EPA is ‘cemetery for jobs’,โ YouTube video uploaded by user League of Conservation Votors, September 12, 2011. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
โ[โฆ] EPA, we don’t need you monkeying around and fiddling around and getting in our business on every kind of regulation that you can dream up. You’re doing nothing more than killing jobs. It is a cemetery for jobs, at the EPA.โ59โRick Perry: EPA is ‘cemetery for jobs’,โ YouTube video uploaded by user League of Conservation Votors, September 12, 2011. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
September, 2006
In a September 2006 op-ed, Rick Perry accused an โextreme element of the environmental communityโ for opposing coal plants:60โSupport for Sustainable Energy,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry, September 8, 2006. Archived June 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PMWNu
โ I would argue they want to return us to the era of horse and buggy except they would probably complain about the methane gas from horse manure, too,โ Perry wrote.61โSupport for Sustainable Energy,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry, September 8, 2006. Archived June 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PMWNu
2010
The Texas Observer notes that in his book Fed Up!, Perry (or his ghostwriter) writes:62Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
โEPA in particular illustrates how Washingtonโs command-and-control environmental bureaucracy is destroying federalism and individualsโ ability to make their own economic decisions.โ63Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
Key Deeds
January 2020
Following his resignation as Secretary of Energy in December 2019, as of a January 2020 SEC filing, Perry joined the board of directors of Energy Transfer LP. The company Energy Transfer, formerly known as Energy Transfer Partners, is behind controversial projects including Dakota Access, Bayou Bridge, and Mariner East. Perry had been on the board of the company prior to joining the Trump administration.64Form 8-K for ENERGY TRANSFER LP. US Securities and Exchange Commission, January 1, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 65Sharon Kelly. โBreaking: Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rejoins Board of Dakota Access Owner, Energy Transfer,โ DeSmog, January 3, 2020. 66Sharon Kelly. โEnergy Transfer: New Name for Pipeline Company But Same Spills and Violence Against Protesters, Says Greenpeace Report,โ DeSmog, October 24, 2019.
August 13, 2019
Perry appeared in a Nature Communications article that ranked 386 โclimate change contrariansโ based on media visibility. The article also ranked bona fide climate scientists and found that deniers had nearly 50% more visibility in the media than mainstream scientists.67Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. โDiscrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,โ Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
Perry was ranked #3 among other noted deniers, including Marc Morano (#1), Sen. James Inhofe, Judith Curry, Freeman Dyson, Ross McKitrick, Steven Hayward, John Hinderaker, and Roy Spencer.68Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. โDiscrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,โ Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
June 24, 2019
Nearly 100 internal documents were leaked to Axios in 2019. As Axios reported, the documents identified a host of โred flagsโ about many individuals who would go on to work in the Trump administration, as well as others who were considered but failed to secure a position.69โFull list: The leaked Trump transition vetting documents,โ Axios, June 24, 2019. Archived June 24, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/gm9i7
Perry was listed among the documents. Some notable samples from the internal documents below:
โBackground: In 2014, Perry was indicted on two felony of abuse of power charges stemming from accusations that he vetoed $7.5 million in state funding for the public integrity unit in an act of revenge over a political enemy. Perry was later cleared of all charges.โ
โConflicts of Interest; Background: Perry has either part ownership or is involved with a number of domestic energy companies.โ
โIn July 2015, Perry Called Trump โA Cancer On Conservatism,โ Saying โWe Will Be No Better Off With A Republican Divider In The White House Than The Current Democrat Divider In The White House.โ [โฆ] โLet no one be mistaken Donald Trumpโs candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded.โ
โPerry Described Trumpism As โA Toxic Mix Of Demagoguery, Mean-Spiritedness, And Nonsense That Will Lead The Republican Party To Perdition.โโ
โPerry Said Trump Was โA Sower Of Division, Wrongly Demonizing Mexican-Americans For Political Sport.โโ
โPerry Said That Trump Was โThe Modern-Day Incarnation Of The Know-Nothing Movement,โ Espousing โNativism, Not Conservatism.โโ
โPerry Said Trump If Trumpism โMetastasize[d],โ It Would Send The Republican Party To โThe Graveyard.โโ
โIn A July 18, 2015 Facebook Post, Perry That โDonald J. Trumpโs Reprehensible Comments Today About John McCainโs POW Service Make Him Unfit To Be Commander โIn-Chief & He Should Immediately Withdraw From The Presidential Race.โโ
โA 2014 Audit By The State Auditor Found The โTexas Enterprise Fund Doled Out Hundreds Of Millions In Taxpayer Dollars To Businesses And Universities That Never Even Formally Applied For The Funds.โโ
โIn October 2009, Perry Billed The State $12,321 For Security Costs For A Trip To Las Vegas To Attend His Sonโs Bachelor Party And Visit With A Republican Candidate For Governor.โ
โDuring His Time In Government Service, Perry Has Profited From Insider Real Estate Tips From Supporters.โ
โIn 2001, Perry Bought A Plot Of Land For Far Below Market Value From A Prominent Supporter And Then Sold The Land Six Years Later To An Associate Of The Supporter For Far Above Market Price.โ70โFull list: The leaked Trump transition vetting documents,โ Axios, June 24, 2019. Archived June 24, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/gm9i7
March 16, 2018
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Perry said he didn’t plan on leaving his post at the Department of Energy to replace Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin.71โDaily on Energy: Perry says renewables are part of his energy agenda,โ Washington Examiner, March 16, 2018. Archived March 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nIO0o 72โEmbattled VA secretary: ‘I deeply regret’ distractions at agency,โ CNN, March 15, 2018. Archived March 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/g97RS
โThe president knows I like where I am,โ Perry said. โHe knows that we have done a really good job of keeping this agency focused, particularly in those areas he is interested in: selling American, running an agency effectively.โ
Perry said he and President Trump had discussed a range of issues, but did not talk about changing jobs.
โWe talked about a lot of different things,โ Perry said. โWhat he didnโt talk about was me changing jobs. I know there is a lot of interest in that in the last 48 to 72 hours.โ
During the Washington Post interview, Perry became defensive when the topic of wind and solar power came up and he was asked about advancing coal:
โWe’re not here just to promote the fossil fuels,โ Perry said. โWe’re here to promote wind, and solar, and hydro, and maybe some forms of energy that we haven’t even dreamed up yet.โ
โBut for the foreseeable future, fossil fuels are going to play a really important role, not just in America, but in the world,โ he said.
March 7, 2018
Perry was a speaker at CERA Week, an annual energy conference in Houston, Texas that attracts a range of energy company executives and leaders of oil producing countries. During his speech, Perry touted โenery realism,โ ThinkProgress reported.73โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
โWe donโt need to choose between growing our economy and caring for our environment,โ he said. โThat is at the heart of this new energy realism.โ74โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
According to Perry, โcleanโ fossil fuels are the future, and a focus on renewables isn’t the answer. โListen, we support renewables,โ he told the audience, but suggested that the focus under the Paris agreement was not the right approach. โWhat are we supposed to do in the meantime?โ he asked, pointing to projections that fossil fuels aren’t going anywhere soon.75โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
During his speech, Perry claimed it was โimmoralโ for poor nations to pivot away from fossil fuels.76โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
September 29, 2017
Perry pushed for sent a proposed rule to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to speed the approval of a proposal which would ensure that nuclear and coal plants received compensation for the โresilienceโ they give to the power grid,The Washington Examiner reported.77John Siciliano. โRick Perry urges FERC protect coal, nuclear power plants,โ The Washington Examiner, September 29, 2017. Archived September 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/qdPEl
โA reliable and resilient electrical grid is critical not only to our national and economic security, but also to the everyday lives of American families,โ Perry said in a letter accompanying the rule. โA diverse mix of power generation resources, including those with on-site reserves, is essential to the reliable delivery of electricity โ particularly in times of supply stress such as recent natural disasters. My proposal will strengthen American energy security by ensuring adequate reserve resource supply and I look forward to the Commission acting swiftly on it.โ
Representatives from the coal industry approved Perry’s move.78John Siciliano. โRick Perry urges FERC protect coal, nuclear power plants,โ The Washington Examiner, September 29, 2017. Archived September 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/qdPEl
โWe urge FERC to act swiftly on this important proposal,โ said Hal Quinn, the president of the National Mining Association. โSecretary Perry’s action today is a long-overdue and necessary step to address the vulnerability of America’s energy grid.โ
Advocates for both natural gas and renewables were critical of Perry’s proposal:79David Koenig. โAdministration favors change in electricity pricing,โ SFGate, September 29, 2017. Archived October 2, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jm2ny
โWe worry today’s proposal would upend competitive markets that save consumers billions of dollars a year,โ said Amy Farrell, a senior vice president for American Wind Energy Association.
Don Santa of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America said the plan would favor โa very limited set of fuels and technologies.โ
June 19, 2017
In an interview with CNBC’s โSquawk Box,โ Rick Perry said that he doesn’t believe man-made CO2 emissions are a primary driver of climate change.80โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
Asked if carbon doixide was the main driver, Perry replied:81โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
โNo, most likely the primary control knob is the ocean waters and this environment that we live in.โ
โThe fact is this shouldn’t be a debate about, ‘Is the climate changing, is man having an effect on it?’ Yeah, we are. The question should be just how much, and what are the policy changes that we need to make to effect that?โ he added.82โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
The Washington Post notes that Perry’s comments echo those of and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt, who also said he didn’t believe CO2 was a major driver of climate change on the program in March.83Steve Mufson. โRick Perry just denied that humans are the main cause of climate change,โ The Washington Post, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x5ZhU
โBoth menโs views contradict the conclusions of scientists at Pruittโs own EPA as well as NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the United Nationsโ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,โ the Post adds.84Steve Mufson. โRick Perry just denied that humans are the main cause of climate change,โ The Washington Post, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x5ZhU
ThinkProgress also covered Perry’s announcement, accusing CNBC’s host of having โfailed to perform the most basic fact checking,โand writing that โPerryโs denial of the role of CO2 in global warming is wrong, according to science.โ85Joe Romm, โCNBC allows Rick Perry to spout nonsense on live TV without any fact checking,โ ThinkProgress, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XRNuT
January 19, 2017
Rick Perry attended his confirmation hearing for his position to lead the U.S. Department of Energy where he addressed questions about his previous statements about eliminating the very department he sought to lead. Full video below.86โWATCH LIVE: Rick Perry confirmation hearing,โ YouTube Video uploaded by user PBS NewsHour, January 19, 2017.
Perry said that he regretted his past statements about the department:87Michael Collins. โRick Perry: I’ve changed my mind about eliminating Energy Dept.โ USA Today, January 19, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VL237#selection-5007.0-5007.63 88โWhat we learned from Rick Perry’s confirmation hearing,โ The Hill, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bOJHg
โMy past statements made over five years ago about abolishing the Department of Energy do not reflect my current thinking,โ Perry said during his confirmation hearing. โIn fact, after being briefed on so many of the vital functions of the Department of Energy, I regret recommending its elimination.โ
August 15, 2014
Rick Perry was indicted by a Travis Country grand jury (PDF) for two charges: The first was abuse of official capacity for threatening to veto $7.5 million in funding for the Public Integrity Unit. The second charge was coercion of a public servant, for seeking the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg. Perry pleaded not guilty to both charges, and has since been cleared on all charges.89โINDICTMENT: Count I – Abuse of Official Capacity 39.02 DPS 23990064โฆโ (PDF), Retrieved from Cnn.com. Archived July 17, 2014. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 90Arlene Saenz. โRick Perry Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges,โ ABCNews, August 30, 2014. Archived August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/U1rbD 91Angela Morris. โTexas Court of Criminal Appeals Dismisses Former Governor Rick Perry’s Criminal Case,โ Texas Lawyer, February 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xaHJj
June 23-26, 2011
In his capacity as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Rick Perry was an attendee of the Koch brothers‘ private retreat at the Bachelor Gulch.92โPerry, McDonnell at latest Koch summit,โ Politico. Republished by Seattle pi, June 27, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
According to Perry’s spokesman, Mark Miner, Perry โdiscussed the need to elect more Republican Governor’s around the country.โ Miner said that โThis was no different than other speeches the governor gives talking about job creation and the economy in Texas.โ He added that Perry โflew on a private plane and no taxpayer dollars were used.โ93โPerry, McDonnell at latest Koch summit,โ Politico. Republished by Seattle pi, June 27, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
April, 2006
Mother Jones reported, in an article titled โRick Perry’s Dirty Deals With Big Coal,โ that Perry signed an executive order to fast-track the approval of new coal-fired power plants in Texas. The order shortened the process that previously took several years to a matter of months. At the same time, โPerry was raking in tens of thousands of dollars in donations from TXU,โ the largest utility and CO2-emitter in the state.94Andy Kroll. โRick Perry’s Dirty Deals With Big Coal,โ Mother Jones, September 21, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x2DZ1
โPerry is very pro-coal, and will bend over backward to do whatever the coal industry asks of him,โ said Tom Smith, director of Public Citizen’s Texas office. โHe’s the longest ongoing natural disaster in Texas history.โ
The Texas Observer noted that on the same day that Perry issued the order, retired TXU chairman Erle Nye gave $2,000 to Perryโs campaign while TXU sources donated a total of $104,000 to Perry during his 2006 re-election bid. Between 2001 and 2011, Perry took more than $630,000 in contributions from TXU.95Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr 96Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
Only three of the proposed 11 powerplants were eventually built.97Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
April 2014
In 2014, Perry wrote a letter to the Texas House urging lawmakers โto develop a Texas solution for the long-term resolution of [high-level waste] currently residing inside our borders.โ98Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
While he did not specify Waste Control Specialists in the letter, he did mention to a local tv station that there was โa legitimate site in West Texas.โ99Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
โSure. I think there are a couple of sites in the State of Texas that the local communities actively are pursuing that possibility,โ Perry told KCBD.100Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
In addition to the letter, Perry forwarded a 49-page report by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, outlining storage options for high-level nuclear waste in Texas.101โAssessment of Texas’s High Level Radioactive Waste Storage Options,โ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
โFinding a site that has local and state support would greatly enhance the chance of a private centralized interim storage site being successfully sited and constructed,โ the report concludes.102โAssessment of Texas’s High Level Radioactive Waste Storage Options,โ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
2003
Rick Perry signed a bill to privatize nuclear waste disposal in Texas. The legislation was tailored for Waste Control Specialists, a company owned by Harold Simmons, a Dallas billionare (now deceased) who was also one of Perry’s largest financial supporters over the years. A panel of eight sate employees reviewed a disposal site proposed by WCS, working for for years to make their report. However they said that they knew the permit would be issued regardless of their findings:103Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
โWe knew from the beginning that this permit was intended to be issued,โ said Glenn Lewis, who was on the panel. โThe realization that Harold Simmons was a top campaign contributor to Gov. Perry,โ Lewis said.104Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
The panel, still, found that the waste site should not be buried so close to large aquifers:105Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
โI am frankly surprised even now that a team of engineers and geologists, knowing what the political expectations were, still worked up the nerve to say, ‘No, it’s not safe,’ โ Lewis said.106Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
WCS had their license approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. All three commissions on the panel had been appointed by Perry, and they chose to ignore the environmental review.107Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
One commissioner, Larry Soward, said that there were numerous complaints and that a call for a public hearing had been denied by the other commissioners.108Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
โThey voted to issue the license without sending it to a hearing, and I voted against that,โ Soward said. โI think that generations to come are going to have a real problem from that site that they’re going to have to deal with,โ he added.109Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
Also in 2003, Perry also signed a bill making permanent a tax break for โhigh costโ natural gas.110Jim Malewitz and Kiah Collier. โRick Perryโs energy legacy is more complicated than you think,โ The Texas Tribune, December 13, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Z21Ar
Affiliations
- Energy Transfer Partners, L.P., later Energy Transfer L.P.โ Former Director. Re-joined as director in January 2020.111William Petroski. โRick Perry, exploring Iowa caucus bid, joins pipeline board,โ The Des Moines Register, February 8, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/SRpE5 112Patrick Svitek. โRick Perry resigns from board of Dallas company building Dakota Access Pipeline,โ The Texas Tribune, January 5, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5CD69 113Sharon Kelly. โBreaking: Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rejoins Board of Dakota Access Owner, Energy Transfer,โ DeSmog, January 3, 2020.
- Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. โ Former Director.114David Saleh Rauf. โRick Perry received more than 5,000 in 2015 total compensation for two corporate board positions,โ San Antonio Express-News, April 22, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. 115โDirector & Officer Biographies,โ Sunoco Logistics. Archived January 18, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- Republican Governors Association โ Former Chairman.116Jonathan Martin. โRick Perry to lead RGA,โ Politico, November 12, 2010. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- American Legion โ Member.117โGovernor’s Information: Texas Governor Rick Perry,โ National Governors Association. Archived April 30, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iVzEK
Social Media
- @SecretaryPerry/@GovernorPerry on Twitter.
- โRick Perryโ on Facebook
- โRick Perryโ on LinkedIn
Publications
Rick Perry has authored a number of books including the following:
- Rick Perry. On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For. Stroud & Hall Publishing (December 16, 2014).
- Rick Perry. Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington. Little, Brown and Company (2010).
Other Resources
- โRick Perry,โ SourceWatch. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/fHAlX
- โRick Perry,โ LittleSis.
- Matt Taibbi. โRick Perry: The Best Little Whore In Texas,โ Rolling Stone, October 26, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/LXC4Z
- Christian McDonald. โThe Rick Perry legacy: government overseers who think like he does,โ American-Statesman, September 20, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qZT82
Resources
- 1โTexas Governor Rick Perry,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived May 24, 2011. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 2Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
- 3โRick Perry confirmation vote: former Texas governor heads to full Senate,โ CBS News, January 31, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Zg15Q
- 4โPerry ends final day as Energy secretary,โ The Hill, December 1, 2019. Archived January 3, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/wip/NBl2u
- 5โTexas Governor Rick Perry,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry. Archived May 24, 2011. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 6Patrick Svitek. โRick Perry resigns from board of Dallas company building Dakota Access Pipeline,โ The Texas Tribune, January 5, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5CD69
- 7Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 8Forrest Wilder. โ2012 was Hottest Year on Record for Texas, U.S.โ The Texas Observer, January 10, 2013. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qYPLE
- 9Neon Satija. โTexas vs. the Feds โ A Look at the Lawsuits,โ The Texas Tribune, January 17, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/mfzqE
- 10Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker. โRick Perry stumbles badly in Republican presidential debate,โ The Washington Post, November 10, 2011. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/saPkU
- 11Amy Gardner and Philip Rucker. โRick Perry stumbles badly in Republican presidential debate,โ The Washington Post, November 10, 2011. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/saPkU
- 12Coral Davenport. โRick Perry, Ex-Governor of Texas, Is Trumpโs Pick as Energy Secretary,โ New York Times, December 13, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fo8Oa
- 13Coral Davenport. โRick Perry, Ex-Governor of Texas, Is Trumpโs Pick as Energy Secretary,โ New York Times, December 13, 2016. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Fo8Oa
- 14Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
- 15Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
- 16Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
- 17Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
- 18Ashley DeJean. โWill Rick Perry Privatize America’s Nuclear Waste Storage?โ Mother Jones, January 24, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ILglM
- 19Neon Satija. โThe Perry Legacy: Environment,โ The Texas Tribune, December 28, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/aRfas
- 20Sophia Stamas. โSome call Trump administration job conflict of interest for Perry,โ CBS Austin, December 13, 2016. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/NSHPE
- 21Leif Reigstad. โExamining Rick Perryโs and Rex Tillersonโs Potential Conflicts of Interest,โ Texas Monthly, December 19, 2016. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iJlit
- 22Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
- 23Brad Johnson. โRick Perry Is Big Oilโs Million Man,โ ThinkProgress, August 15, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Sqb1o
- 24Steve Horn. โFacing Felony Charges, Rick Perry Joins Board of Energy Transfer Partners, Owner of Proposed Oil Pipeline Across Iowa,โ DeSmog, February 6, 2015.
- 25Coral Davenport. โRick Perryโs Air War,โ National Journal, September 10, 2011. Archived October 21, 2012. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/RBjdC
- 26Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
- 27Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
- 28Reena Flores. โRick Perry regrets push to eliminate Energy Department,โ CBS News, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YYi1u
- 29Reena Flores. โRick Perry regrets push to eliminate Energy Department,โ CBS News, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/YYi1u
- 30Tom Benning. โRick Perry clears first hurdle to becoming energy secretary, signalling easy confirmation,โ Dallas News, January 31, 2017. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/04TiT
- 31Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
- 32Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
- 33Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
- 34Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
- 35Todd J. Gillman. โIn DC, Gov. Rick Perry talks 2016, Ted Cruz, climate change, border security,โ Dallas News, June, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iSogp
- 36โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 37โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 38โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 39โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 40โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 41โThe Republican Debate at the Reagan Library,โ The New York Times, September 7, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5b0pt
- 42Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 43Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 44Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 45Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 46Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 47Maeve Reston. โRick Perry calls global warming an unproven, costly theory,โ Los Angeles Times, August 17, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/9L5Q8
- 48โWashington Post Editorial: Perry is no champion of science,โ The Salt Lake Tribune, December 15, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/RQPVw
- 49Forrest Wilder. โ2012 was Hottest Year on Record for Texas, U.S.โ The Texas Observer, January 10, 2013. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/qYPLE
- 50โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 51โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 52Michael Collins. โRick Perry: I’ve changed my mind about eliminating Energy Dept.โ USA Today, January 19, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VL237#selection-5007.0-5007.63
- 53โWhat we learned from Rick Perry’s confirmation hearing,โ The Hill, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bOJHg
- 54Rebecca Leber. โRick Perry: I Care About ‘Real’ Pollution, Not Climate Change,โ New Republic, February 27, 2015. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/eTppB
- 55Patrick Reis. โHouse to reject Senate Keystone, payroll pact – Utility MACT on tap this week – Rig sinks off Russian coast – Industry angry over GOP’s light bulb bluster,โ Politico, December 19, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nImVW
- 56Michael Conroy. โPerry gives Indiana audience a preview of his energy proposal,โ CBS News, October 12, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nUnFL
- 57Michael Conroy. โPerry gives Indiana audience a preview of his energy proposal,โ CBS News, October 12, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nUnFL
- 58โRick Perry: EPA is ‘cemetery for jobs’,โ YouTube video uploaded by user League of Conservation Votors, September 12, 2011. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
- 59โRick Perry: EPA is ‘cemetery for jobs’,โ YouTube video uploaded by user League of Conservation Votors, September 12, 2011. Archived .mp4 on file at DeSmog.
- 60โSupport for Sustainable Energy,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry, September 8, 2006. Archived June 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PMWNu
- 61โSupport for Sustainable Energy,โ Office of the Governor Rick Perry, September 8, 2006. Archived June 24, 2010. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/PMWNu
- 62Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
- 63Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
- 64Form 8-K for ENERGY TRANSFER LP. US Securities and Exchange Commission, January 1, 2020. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 65Sharon Kelly. โBreaking: Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rejoins Board of Dakota Access Owner, Energy Transfer,โ DeSmog, January 3, 2020.
- 66Sharon Kelly. โEnergy Transfer: New Name for Pipeline Company But Same Spills and Violence Against Protesters, Says Greenpeace Report,โ DeSmog, October 24, 2019.
- 67Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. โDiscrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,โ Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 68Alexander Michael Petersen, Emmanuel M. Vincent, Anthony LeRoy Westerling. โDiscrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians,โ Nature Communications, August 13, 2019. Archived August 14, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/WC84u. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 69โFull list: The leaked Trump transition vetting documents,โ Axios, June 24, 2019. Archived June 24, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/gm9i7
- 70โFull list: The leaked Trump transition vetting documents,โ Axios, June 24, 2019. Archived June 24, 2019. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/gm9i7
- 71โDaily on Energy: Perry says renewables are part of his energy agenda,โ Washington Examiner, March 16, 2018. Archived March 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/nIO0o
- 72โEmbattled VA secretary: ‘I deeply regret’ distractions at agency,โ CNN, March 15, 2018. Archived March 17, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/g97RS
- 73โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 74โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 75โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 76โRick Perry touts โnew directionโ for energy policy based on Obama-era achievements,โ ThinkProgress, March 7, 2018. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bBsms
- 77John Siciliano. โRick Perry urges FERC protect coal, nuclear power plants,โ The Washington Examiner, September 29, 2017. Archived September 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/qdPEl
- 78John Siciliano. โRick Perry urges FERC protect coal, nuclear power plants,โ The Washington Examiner, September 29, 2017. Archived September 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: http://archive.is/qdPEl
- 79David Koenig. โAdministration favors change in electricity pricing,โ SFGate, September 29, 2017. Archived October 2, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/jm2ny
- 80โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
- 81โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
- 82โEnergy Secretary Rick Perry says CO2 is not the main driver of climate change,โ CNBC, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Ac4Mo
- 83Steve Mufson. โRick Perry just denied that humans are the main cause of climate change,โ The Washington Post, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x5ZhU
- 84Steve Mufson. โRick Perry just denied that humans are the main cause of climate change,โ The Washington Post, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x5ZhU
- 85Joe Romm, โCNBC allows Rick Perry to spout nonsense on live TV without any fact checking,โ ThinkProgress, June 19, 2017. Archived June 19, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/XRNuT
- 86โWATCH LIVE: Rick Perry confirmation hearing,โ YouTube Video uploaded by user PBS NewsHour, January 19, 2017.
- 87Michael Collins. โRick Perry: I’ve changed my mind about eliminating Energy Dept.โ USA Today, January 19, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/VL237#selection-5007.0-5007.63
- 88โWhat we learned from Rick Perry’s confirmation hearing,โ The Hill, January 19, 2017. Archived February 1, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/bOJHg
- 89โINDICTMENT: Count I – Abuse of Official Capacity 39.02 DPS 23990064โฆโ (PDF), Retrieved from Cnn.com. Archived July 17, 2014. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 90Arlene Saenz. โRick Perry Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charges,โ ABCNews, August 30, 2014. Archived August 30, 2014. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/U1rbD
- 91Angela Morris. โTexas Court of Criminal Appeals Dismisses Former Governor Rick Perry’s Criminal Case,โ Texas Lawyer, February 24, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/xaHJj
- 92โPerry, McDonnell at latest Koch summit,โ Politico. Republished by Seattle pi, June 27, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 93โPerry, McDonnell at latest Koch summit,โ Politico. Republished by Seattle pi, June 27, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 94Andy Kroll. โRick Perry’s Dirty Deals With Big Coal,โ Mother Jones, September 21, 2011. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/x2DZ1
- 95Forrest Wilder. โExamining Rick Perryโs Environmental Record,โ The Texas Observer, September 6, 2011. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/ssICr
- 96Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
- 97Naveena Sadasivam. โGet Ready, America: Rick Perryโs Environmental and Energy Record is Awful,โ The Texas Observer, December 14, 2016. Archived January 30, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/OfxYC
- 98Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
- 99Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
- 100Forrest Wilder. โIs Rick Perry Cheerleading for a Nuclear Trans-Texas Corridor?โ The Texas Observer, April 4, 2014. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/BK0Nq
- 101โAssessment of Texas’s High Level Radioactive Waste Storage Options,โ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 102โAssessment of Texas’s High Level Radioactive Waste Storage Options,โ Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Retrieved from DocumentCloud. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 103Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 104Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 105Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 106Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 107Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 108Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 109Peter Overby. โPerry Donor’s Radioactive Waste Site Deal Scrutinized,โ NPR, September 15, 2011. Archived February 7, 2016. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Wlhp2
- 110Jim Malewitz and Kiah Collier. โRick Perryโs energy legacy is more complicated than you think,โ The Texas Tribune, December 13, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/Z21Ar
- 111William Petroski. โRick Perry, exploring Iowa caucus bid, joins pipeline board,โ The Des Moines Register, February 8, 2015. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/SRpE5
- 112Patrick Svitek. โRick Perry resigns from board of Dallas company building Dakota Access Pipeline,โ The Texas Tribune, January 5, 2017. Archived January 31, 2017. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/5CD69
- 113Sharon Kelly. โBreaking: Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry Rejoins Board of Dakota Access Owner, Energy Transfer,โ DeSmog, January 3, 2020.
- 114David Saleh Rauf. โRick Perry received more than 5,000 in 2015 total compensation for two corporate board positions,โ San Antonio Express-News, April 22, 2016. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 115โDirector & Officer Biographies,โ Sunoco Logistics. Archived January 18, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 116Jonathan Martin. โRick Perry to lead RGA,โ Politico, November 12, 2010. Archived February 7, 2017. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- 117โGovernor’s Information: Texas Governor Rick Perry,โ National Governors Association. Archived April 30, 2011. Archive.is URL: https://archive.is/iVzEK