November 17th, 2023

• Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
• Natural Gas CARES: It is the world’s Cleanest, Affordable, Reliable Energy Source.
• Court upholds Biden’s approval of Willow Oil project.
• China tightens exports on rare earth metals, impacting U.S. supply chain.
• Mountain Valley Pipeline sues protesters for obstructing construction.
• Natural gas bills dropping in Virginia, across U.S.
• The best way to extinguish a flaming EV? Let it burn.
• Volkswagen will produce electric cars in Mexico.

The issue: Nations that vowed to halt global warming are expanding their use of fossil fuels.

Why it matters: The world remains on track to produce far more oil, gas and coal than would be consistent with relatively safe levels of heating, a new report found.
Consider: 

• The report, which looked at 20 major fossil fuel producing countries, underscores the wide gap between world leaders’ lofty promises to take stronger action on climate change and their nations’ actual production plans.
• This month, leaders are set to gather at a global climate summit in Dubai to discuss how to reduce their planet-warming emissions. But in the face of strong opposition from major fossil fuel producers, climate conferences have so far shied away from discussing a phaseout of fossil fuels.
• Over the past decade, governments and businesses have made progress in weaning themselves from fossil fuels by ramping up wind and solar power, for example, and investing in electric vehicles. Remember, none of those sources is affordable or reliable, unlike natural gas.

Yet the report, led by researchers at the Stockholm Environment Institute, found that nations of the world plan to keep increasing coal production until 2030, and natural gas and oil production decades beyond that. Perhaps it’s because they know these facts:

• Natural gas burns cleaner and has fewer emissions than other fuels.
• America leads the world in CO2 reduction and natural gas is responsible for 61 percent of carbon dioxide reductions in U.S. electricity generation.
• Increased use of natural gas — both domestically and through exports to our allies — will benefit the global environment because U.S. natural gas production is cleaner and safer than foreign sources like Russia and Iran.

Bottom Line: Time and time again, we’re reminded that transitioning away from fossil fuels is easier said than done. The fact is, natural gas is cheaper, more reliable, and more effective at lowering emissions than any renewable source.

The issue: California rolls out the red carpet for Chinese President Xi Jingping as Gov. Gavin Newsom cleans up the streets of San Francisco.

Why it matters: Democrats are so obsessed with their pursuit of the radical green agenda that they’re rolling out the red carpet for the “Red” communist leader in an effort to get him to comply with the global net-zero agenda.

Consider: As a result, Gov. Newsom has taken a public verbal beating — and rightfully so  — for admittedly cleaning up the city only for the arrival of “fancy” leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. San Francisco has been waging for years a multi-pronged war on drugs and related crime, homelessness and unaffordable housing.

The governor and his merry band of green activists have a strong anti-domestic energy record. He has done everything within his power to cripple the natural gas and oil industries there — while still finding time to kiss up to the Chinese.

• Newsom signed a new law that gives state regulators the power to penalize oil companies for making too much money.
• The bill, signed in March, marks the latest in a string of defeats for the oil industry in that state.
• For decades, California was one of the leading oil producers in the United States that was a key part of the state’s economy. It is now the nation’s seventh-largest oil producer, according to federal data.
• In September Newsom announced a lawsuit against five major oil companies and their subsidiaries, seeking compensation for damages they contend were caused by climate change. He has accused firms like Exxon, Shell and BP of practicing deception for decades.

And Newsom has strong presidential aspirations. That’s more than a bit frightening.

These problems have been well documented, yet ignored, until a Communist leader decides to visit. Once known for Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown as well as great food and architecture, parts of San Francisco now resemble a refugee camp with an average of 4,400 people sleeping in its downtown streets every night.

Bottom Line: Rather than bending the knee to Xi, Newsom and Democrat leaders should be focused on taking care of their constituents by lowering the cost of living. Lowering the cost of living starts with lowering the cost of energy.

The holiday season is officially here, and that means millions of Americans are preparing to hit the roads. But even with the busy travel week right around the corner, gas prices are still on the decline. As of today, the national average for a gallon of unleaded gasoline is $3.33, which is 6 cents lower than a week ago. This is the cheapest gas has been on Thanksgiving in the past since 2020 in the midst of the covid pandemic. All in all, drivers should be happy with the extra cash they can keep in their pockets this holiday season!

Nothing on the calendar next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday!

*PROGRAMMING NOTE* There will be no Common Sense Energy Newsletter next week. We will resume our regular schedule the following week on Friday, Dec. 1st.

Gavin Newsom “is trying not just to save himself from humiliation, but to hide the consequences of the failed policies he wants to impose on the rest of the country.”
—  Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-California) on X.