Obama renews attack on fossil fuels, Koch brothers at Nevada clean energy event

President Obama accused critics of his energy policies of trying to restrict consumers from accessing solar power, wind power and other alternative energy sources at a green energy conference in Las Vegas Monday night. The president specifically singled out billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who are major donors to Republican political candidates. He accused them, along with "big fossil fuel interests" and "conservative think tanks", of ideological inconsistency, saying that they champion free market solutions except when the free market boosts renewable energy. "It's one thing if you're consistent in being free market," Obama said. "It's another thing when you're free market until it's solar that's working and people want to buy and suddenly you're not for it anymore. That's a problem." The annual energy conference was hosted by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who frequently targets the Koch brothers. Reid's speeches depict them as self-serving oil barons who pay huge sums to try to buy elections and advance their agenda of low taxes and less regulation at the expense of average Americans...more