May 26th, 2023

• American natural gas is the world’s cleanest, most affordable, and most reliable energy. America’s energy independence and national security depends on it.
• Gas exports rise by 17% in 2022.
• This China hawk is rattling Washington’s boardrooms.
• Explosion of AP climate change stories following $8 million enviro grant.
• NY lawmaker points to irony of fossil fuel use to manufacture ‘green’ infrastructure.
• Why AOC and Biden may get the last laugh on oil and gas.
• SCOTUS unanimously rules against EPA and limits Clean Water Act.

American consumers are getting hit on all sides, thanks to President Biden and his EPA.

Reports all across the country are predicting sky-rocketing electricity rates going into the summer months. Some states like Ohio are facing as much as a 30 percent spike in electric bills beginning June 1. Residents in Pennsylvania, Florida and other states also are braced for big hikes.

There are some obvious reasons for prices going up — like increased demand as Americans crank up their air conditioning during the hot weather. But, the Green New Deal crowd would have you believe that these price hikes are because energy sources like natural gas are too expensive.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Energy policy matters. America needs less reliance on foreign oil and more domestic pipelines open to allow for safe transport of fuel.

Don’t blame utility companies, which are somewhat compromised middle men, in this process. The blame belongs squarely on the Biden administration. They are robbing low- and middle-income families of their livelihoods and making achieving the American Dream more difficult.

The real reason Americans are still facing astronomical energy costs is the administration’s attacks on America’s natural gas and oil industry at every turn:

• Recently, Biden’s EPA proposed the first ever controls on emission from existing power plants. The United States already leads the world in lowering emissions and pursuing solutions like carbon capture.
• The federal government continues to subsidize wind and solar energy, which drives up energy costs like electricity bills for consumers and makes the United States dependent on China.

Step back and recall that on his first day in office, Biden killed the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have created 60,000 jobs and $3.6 billion in wages.

This set the tone for a hostile environment to other U.S. oil and gas pipelines and the domestic industry at almost every turn, including red-tape, more regulations and restrictions.

In addition, gasoline prices are projected to be up as Memorial Day weekend approaches. The unofficial start of summer should serve as a candid reminder of the need for clean, affordable, abundant and reliable energy — natural gas.

While it’s true that the price at the pump is lower today than it was in 2022, AAA reports that motorists are now paying an average of $3.57 a gallon. Compare that to the average price of $2.39 on President Biden’s first day in office, Jan. 20, 2021.

Bottom Line: We need to do more to incentivize, not harm, American energy producers. This will create jobs and opportunity and drive down prices. For an energy plan that will lower costs for all Americans, check out TEA’s Common Sense Energy Agenda.

We know that hypocrisy is synonymous with the green-at-any-cost crowd. But if more proof were needed, here are a couple of recent examples.

First, the G7 pledges climate progress, but backs the ‘temporary’ use of gas.

“Faced with the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels, what leaders have brought to the table represents an endorsement of new fossil gas,” Tracy Carty, Global Climate Politics Expert at Greenpeace International, said in a statement.

Confused? Wait, there’s more…

“In the exceptional circumstance of accelerating the phase out of our dependency on Russian energy, publicly supported investment in the gas sector can be appropriate as a temporary response,” the communique said.
Without clarifying what “temporary” meant, the document said such investments should be in line with climate objectives and integrated into the development of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen.

And they keep doubling down. The Group of Seven has pledged to achieve a net-zero emissions goal by 2050 and to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The G7 (justifiably) did not cave to the climate activists and call for the immediate phase out of coal and gas from the global energy mix. The group acknowledged what we all know — natural gas is the only thing keeping the lights on in Europe.

Second, in the spirit of “Rules for Thee, But Not for Me,” there is this gem from the West Coast:

A California city will make an exception to its natural gas ban for world-famous chef José Andrés, after the landlords for the chef’s planned restaurant warned Andrés may pull out over the regulation.

After the owners of the mall where Andrés is set to open the restaurant threatened to sue the city, Palo Alto administrators will allow Andrés’s Mediterranean restaurant Zaytinya to use natural gas lines, despite a new law this year that bans them in construction.

So a swanky chef is treated differently than a working mother trying to balance a household budget and feed her kids? Talk about elitism run amok.

Here’s the kicker: The renowned chef is also a frequent advocate for fighting climate change. He started a $1 billion fund to fight climate disasters and teamed up with politicians to create other climate initiatives.

All that political posturing makes you hungry for a hamburger cooked on your own gas stove, doesn’t it?

Bottom Line: Most of the time, natural gas is vilified by the climate hysteria crowd. But when it suits them, it’s an acceptable source of fuel. That is the height of hypocrisy.

It’s the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend, and Americans are getting ready to fill up the tank and hit the road. The national average for a gallon of gasoline increased 3 cents this week, from $3.54 to $3.57. AAA forecasts that Memorial Day road trips will be up 6% over last year, with more than 37 million Americans driving to their destinations. Look for gas prices to continue to increase until the holiday weekend is in the rear view mirror. Have a great weekend and stay safe!

North American Electric Reliability Corporation Meetings: On Tuesday, May 30, and Thursday, June 1, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation will hold “extreme cold weather grid operations, preparedness, coordination standard drafting team meetings.”

“My mom’s home has a gas hookup and Biden’s new regulations would mean her kitchen has to be remodeled. The landlord will redo the kitchen but that cost falls DIRECTLY on the renter. We’re dealing with people’s lives here.”

— Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on Twitter.