Hurricanes teach us a “reliable” lesson

October 18th, 2024

• Stay up to date on all things energy by visiting the TEA Newsroom.
• America needs Affordable, Reliable, Clean energy security.
• World could triple renewable energy by decade’s end.
• Three energy issues to watch at Interior, DOE, EPA.
• Opinion: A Supreme Court case in Hawaii could raise gas costs.
• U.S. expands sanctions on Iranian oil ‘Ghost Fleet.’
• California’s controversial new law aimed at preventing gas price spikes.
• Rapid rise of LNG trucking pushes China to peak diesel.
• Greens sue to block TVA from replacing coal with natural gas.
• DOE’s No. 2: Congress needs to move on permitting reform.

The issue: The battle for the majority in the U.S. Senate hinges on five crucial seats, according to The Hill.

Why it matters: What’s important to remember are the five candidates that TEA gave approval ratings to in its recent American Energy Scorecards. Bringing down rising electricity costs brought about by the Biden-Harris administration, building more natural gas pipelines, reducing or eliminating electric vehicle mandates and unleashing the power of domestic energy are among the platforms our team reviewed.

That’s why we gave the nods to Republicans Tim Sheehy, Montana; Bernie Moreno, Ohio; Eric Hovde, Wisconsin; Mike Rogers, Michigan; and David McCormick, Pennsylvania. All of them have demonstrated an understanding of the importance of domestic energy and the need for reliance on natural gas for America’s needs today and into the future.

Whether it’s a smaller state like Montana, with four electoral votes, or Pennsylvania with 19, these candidates understand what’s at stake Nov. 5. Sheehy posted on X:

“In Joe Biden’s America, we’re getting hammered by rising gas prices, while Russia and Saudi Arabia cut oil supply, and Biden is bending the knee to the climate cult again — ending drilling in one of our most resource-rich areas. This is America Last policy in action. We must make America energy independent and dominant again.”

McCormick has placed energy policy at the forefront of his campaign messaging:

“If Pennsylvania were a country, we would have the fourth largest natural gas reserves in the world. But under Biden and Harris’ anti-American energy policies rubber stamped by Bob Casey, we haven’t been able to access clean natural gas, including from the Marcellus Shale … Harris and Casey’s war on fossil fuels will decimate Pennsylvania’s energy sector.”

Consider:

• The GOP needs to win only one of two competitive races in red states — Montana and Ohio — to gain control of the chamber.
• According to Decision Desk HQ and The Hill, Republicans have a 72 percent chance of retaking the upper chamber.
• No state is more critical than Pennsylvania, an energy producing state with 600,000 jobs directly or indirectly at stake across the rich shale region.

Bottom line: Affordable, Reliable and Clean energy is essential for America’s Energy Security. Find out which candidates will fight for Energy Security by checking out the American Energy Scorecards!

The issue: The recent rash of hurricanes along the Eastern seaboard have given us more reason to question the reliability of renewable sources of energy.

The Lake Placid Solar Power Plant, located in Highlands County, Fla., suffered damage during Hurricane Milton. The facility opened nearly five years ago, but Milton destroyed it within minutes. This hit south Florida just two weeks after the deadliest one on record, Hurricane Helene, ravaged the northern part of the state, killing 230 people across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Why it matters:

• Infrastructure like new natural gas power plants and a reliable pipeline system ensures our power generation is protected when bad weather hits the U.S.
• Since 2005, natural gas has cut 50 percent more emissions than wind and solar power combined.
• The increased use of natural gas for electricity generation is the top reason for U.S. power sector emissions reductions over the past 15 years.

We all want clean air and water. We all want reliable energy sources. Unlike renewables, natural gas gives millions of American households and businesses all of that, especially during times of crisis.

Consider: Florida does not have any refineries or gasoline pipelines that connect it to states with excess supply. The Sunshine State has several intrastate pipeline systems. But Florida’s gasoline and diesel are delivered by truck or ship from domestic and international sources, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association.

Perhaps states along the coast that are prone to hurricanes should consider building refineries in order to protect their energy supplies from future catastrophic storms, or interstate pipelines that make it easier to transport fuel when roads are damaged.

Hydrocarbons have been exposed to extreme weather for decades. Offshore rigs and oil refineries in the Gulf Coast have been knocked out by hurricanes. But those are familiar challenges for operators and power restoration is generally done in a matter of days — or even hours.

Bottom line: Hurricanes teach us an important lesson about energy. Severe storms don’t damage natural gas, coal or nuclear plants, while wind and solar are vulnerable to even minor hailstorms or tornados. We should prioritize reliable, resilient energy sources.

Even with Hurricane Milton and Helene disrupting supplies and wreaking havoc across the Southeast U.S., gas prices have remained stable. The national average for a gallon of unleaded fuel is $3.19, which is one cent cheaper than it was last week. In other positive news, there are now 15 states where drivers are paying less than $3 per gallon.

Nothing on the calendar for next week!

‘We’re sitting on the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. We’ve just got to unleash that. Now that will lower costs, of course, for everybody because we all use energy.”
— J.D. Vance at Pennsylvania town hall meeting