A Republican-backed group urging a carbon tax received $1 million pledges each from two more oil companies, the Washington Examiner reported Monday.
BP and Shell are going to donate $1 million apiece over the next two years to Americans for Carbon Dividends, an advocacy group led by co-chaired by former Republican Senators John Breaux and Trent Lott and based on the Baker-Shultz Carbon dividends plan, according to the report.
"Any and all industry support for pricing carbon is a welcome development," Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., told the Examiner. "These major oil companies have important voices in the future of energy. I would also like to see these companies engage in direct advocacy for pricing carbon."
Exxon Mobil already had pledged $1 million over two years, while ConocoPhillips pledged $2 million over two years.
"The additional members who contributed show we are continuing to increase our momentum in support of the plan," ex-Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa., the Americans for Carbon Dividends managing director, told the Examiner. "The polling clearly reflects Republican voters want the Republican Party to lean in with a proactive bipartisan solution to reduce carbon emissions."
Under the plan, tax revenue that encourages companies to switch to cleaner fuel alternatives would be returned to taxpayers, as a family of four would receive roughly $2,000 per year in dividends, according to the group.
"It's our hope Shell's support of AFCD and like-minded coalitions ultimately leads to legislation that establishes a national price on carbon," Shell U.S. President Gretchen Watkins told the Examiner.