Common Sense Energy: Rule of Law Strikes Back

In a big win for small businesses owners, middle to working class Americans, and American oil and gas workers, a federal judge halted President Biden’s ban on new oil and gas leases. The ruling cited that the ban must be approved by Congress.

Here’s more from NPR:

“A long-term halt to oil and gas sales would curb future production and could hurt states like Louisiana that are heavily dependent on the industry that has contributed to global warming.

The lawsuit notes that coastal states receive significant revenue from onshore and offshore oil and gas activity. Stopping leases, the lawsuit argues, would diminish revenue that pays for Louisiana efforts to restore coastal wetlands, raise energy costs and lead to major job losses in oil-producing states.”

Oil prices have hit pandemic highs thanks to investors seemingly taking notice of the Biden Administration’s unethical attempts to bully private companies to begrudgingly join their war on affordable energy.

Wall Street Journal: Some investors are wagering that Wall Street’s preference for green energy will depress spending on oil extraction, setting the stage for supply shortages and higher fuel prices.

U.S. crude prices hit $71.78 a barrel on Monday, their highest level in more than 2½ years.

A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that two-thirds of Americans don’t want to phase out natural gas.

Energy In Depth: “The poll, which was conducted in April and surveyed more than 13,000 U.S. adults, found the majority of Americans (64 percent) favor using a mix of energy resources to meet demand rather than phasing fossil fuels completely out of our economy.”

The truth is that technologies like carbon capture, leak detection, and monitoring, the United States can reduce emissions without decreasing domestic energy supply.

Americans are paying 46% more for gasoline now than they were a year ago. The current national average is $3.08/gallon. It was $2.11/gallon one year ago.

Rural Renewable Energy Hearings: On Tuesday, June 22, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy will hold a hearing to “examine renewable energy, focusing on growth and opportunities for rural economies.” And, on Wednesday, June 23, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy will have a hearing on “access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy for rural and low-income communities.”

“Ocean-Based Climate Action” Hearing: On Tuesday, June 22, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on an array of bills addressing “ocean-based climate action.”  Among the “Key Ocean Solutions” proposed is promoting “offshore wind energy and research while prohibiting offshore fossil fuel activity.”

DOE Budget Hearing: On Wednesday, June 23, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development will have a hearing to examine the FY 2022 Department of Energy budget.

SCOTUS Decision In NJ Pipeline Case: The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a decision by the end of the month in PennEast Pipeline v. New Jersey. The case involves eminent domain issues around parcels of state-owned land for a pipeline that would move gas from the Marcellus Shale fields of Northeastern Pennsylvania to Central New Jersey. Disappointing anti-pipeline activists, the DOJ filed a brief in support of the pipeline back in March.