First, the history: Back in 1993, President Clinton proposed a broad-based energy tax (called a BTU tax since it taxed energy content measured in British Thermal Units).

FORBES: Carbon Taxes: The Levy (Some) Conservatives Love

To put that in perspective, the Energy Information Agency, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, estimates the country annually consumes 100 quads (lingo for quadrillion British thermal units)y.

FORBES: Magazine Article

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the energy intensity of China in 2005, the most recent year for which data are available, was 35, 766 British thermal units per U.S. dollar.

FORBES: Magazine Article