April 26th, 2024

• Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
• Natural Gas CARES: It provides Clean, Affordable, Reliable Energy Security.
• Native American group slams Biden admin’s move to limit new oil projects in Alaska.
• Energy Advocacy Group declares Earth Day a day for fossil fuel workers.
• California launches unprecedented targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.
• U.S. natural gas consumption set several records in 2023.
• Opinion: Time to lift the pause on LNG exports.
• New study highlights the emission reduction potential of natural gas.
• Ford taking massive loss on every EV it sells.

The issue: President Biden’s energy policies have harmed U.S. producers while helping America’s rivals. The message is clearly illogical: We won’t use our resources, but we’re happy to buy yours.

Why it matters: This week provides the latest evidence as the EPA announced its final rule establishing carbon dioxide (CO2) emission guidelines for existing coal power plants and CO2 performance standards for new natural gas power plants. Energy policy experts contend the rule will drive up energy prices, make energy less reliable and undermine constitutional constraints on unaccountable government power.

As one expert noted, the EPA is once again trying to play the role of the nation’s electricity grid manager. It has finalized requirements that will lead to a major shift from reliable sources of electricity (including natural gas) to unreliable sources of electricity, such as wind and solar.

There also have been several decisions aimed at Alaska specifically. This strongly written op-ed by Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) explains that the policies are giving Iran a free pass to export oil while shutting down domestic development for natural gas and oil. The president is evidently content to shut down our energy sector to appease left-wing environmentalists — while ceding the market to our foes. He proceeds at the nation’s peril and with his own political standing at stake.

Consider: This is a damaging war, warns another lawmaker, Sen. John Barrasso, (R-Wyoming) and chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Both Senators Sullivan and Barrasso are strong advocates for domestic energy production.

The anti-oil and natural gas policies of the Biden administration are quite numerous, including:

• Canceling the Keystone XL pipeline on day one;
• Banning drilling in vast swaths of the Gulf of Mexico;
• Banning permits for new liquified natural gas export terminals;
• New environmental reviews that make it more difficult to obtain permits for oil and natural gas pipelines; and
• Increasing the “social cost of carbon,” which can be a backdoor path to carbon pricing/taxing.

These actions have led to increased energy costs for Americans. Panic about high gas prices — in an election year — has led President Biden to do some truly extraordinary things, like withdrawing roughly 40% of the fuel in America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve. As Senators Sullivan and Barrasso have pointed out, this is only helping OPEC, Iran, Venezuela and Russia — and hurting present and future American energy production, jobs and growth.

Bottom Line: Threats from climate change do not justify policies that make energy unaffordable and unreliable. Punishing Americans for doing more to reduce emissions than any other nation is wrong.

The issue: President Biden spent Earth Day touting job creation under the American Climate Corps umbrella and designating new funds for solar energy. This sounds like more green nonsense to appease the extremist wing of his party and gain votes on Nov. 5.

The “American Climate Corps” is being called a workforce training and service initiative aimed at preparing young Americans for jobs in clean energy and climate resilience. We see right through the charade, as it’s lifted directly from the Green New Deal plan unveiled in 2006.

Why It Matters: A total of $7 billion in grant funding is earmarked for solar power, under the Inflation Reduction Act. Just more taxpayer dollars funneled into feel-good climate change and unreliable renewable energy programs.

The budget provides $15 million to support and expand AmeriCorps’ ACC hub and $23 million to support over 1,700 additional ACC members, as well as $8 billion in mandatory funding to support an additional 50,000 ACC members annually by 2031.

Consider:

• A website devoted to listing job opportunities for the American Climate Corps includes Trail Crew Leader Tahoe Area Mountain Biking,
  OysterCorps Conservation Corpsmember and Conservation Intern.
• Shouldn’t these “jobs” fall under the auspices of the National Park Service or individual states’ Department of Natural Resources?
• Most are temporary jobs, with many ending by Nov. 1, just four days before the general election. But some don’t start until 2025, and only 273 jobs are listed.
• The government will ease American Climate Corps members’ transition to other federal jobs after they graduate from the program. Translation: That means inflating our federal bureaucracy even further with unbudgeted positions.

Bottom Line: Those “green” jobs Biden promised are starting to materialize, but they’re as silly as you’d expect. Who knew working as a mountain bike trail guide helped fight climate change?

Surprisingly, gas prices actually decreased slightly over the past week, with the national average down 2 cents to $3.66. This comes as oil prices dropped down to the low 80s, which helped ease pressure on the pump. The national average today is exactly the same as one year ago, but expect prices to start to increase again after peak driving season begins on Memorial Day. While we have you, here’s a good piece about how U.S. shale has helped shield American drivers from volatile gas prices.

Hearing On EPA Budget: On Tuesday, April 30, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will have a hearing on the FY 2025 Budget Request for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hearing On Extremism In The Interior Department: On Tuesday, April 30, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will have a hearing on “Examining the Influence of Extreme Environmental Activist Groups in the Department of the Interior.”

Hearing On “Big Oil” And Climate Change: On Wednesday, May 1, the Senate Budget Committee will have a hearing on “to examine Big Oil’s evolving efforts to avoid accountability for climate change.”

Hearing On Interior Budget: On Wednesday, May 1, the House Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing examining the President’s FY 2025 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior.

Hearing On EPA Budget: On Wednesday, May 1, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will have a hearing examining proposed budget estimates for FY 2025 for the Environmental Protection Agency.

Hearing On Interior Budget: On Thursday, May 2, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will have a hearing examining the President’s FY 2025 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior.

“Unleashing America’s abundant natural gas is essential for us to keep the lights on and reliably power our nation. Tapping into this resource has delivered good-paying jobs to our region, helped shrink Ohio’s carbon footprint, and provided a reliable flow of affordable energy to our electric grid. My resolution calls on the Biden Administration to support natural gas infrastructure and remove unnecessary barriers for producers.”

— Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH), commenting on his “Natural Gas is Green” resolution.