Biden’s crusade against US energy harms America and our allies
Bipartisan congressional opposition stands up to Biden's anti-energy crusade
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Biden administration's energy policies are negatively impacting American energy independence and the energy security of our allies – especially those in Europe who, given a choice, would choose America but instead are being pushed into a Russian bearhug. The reason? President Joe Biden’s politicization of energy policy and putting an indefinite pause on future liquefied natural gas (LNG) export infrastructure projects.
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee recently pushed Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm over the administration's decision to halt LNG exports. Representatives pressed on when the pause will end and whether the Department of Energy has yet determined whether LNG exports to allies around the world are in the public interest. To me, the answer is clear. With this ban, the administration is, in effect, gifting one of the world's most evil dictators, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a significant advantage.
Russia has long used its energy resources as a geopolitical weapon, extorting Europe by restricting – or threatening to stop – gas exports to Europe. This has often left our allies exposed and unable to stand up to Russian aggression over fears that it would trigger an energy crisis in their country.
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Concerns about European dependence on Russian energy were magnified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once the war began, the Biden administration was begging the energy sector to step up to help Europe. Now that the election is near, it is no longer politically to their benefit.
Biden is restricting liquid natural gas infrastructure projects, which harms the US and our allies and encourages Europe to rely on Russia. FILE: Cheniere Energy Inc. Liquefaction facility on Corpus Christi Bay in Portland, Texas, Feb. 19, 2021. (Eddie Seal/Bloomberg)
However, the not so hidden secret remains that Europe is still importing Russian LNG – tangentially funding Putin’s war. Pausing all infrastructure development for LNG exports not only crushes our European allies in the short term but also squanders a huge opportunity for Europe to stop energy imports from Russia once and for all – playing right into Putin's hands.
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To make matters worse, it's clear that the administration’s decision to pause LNG exports is driven by political motivation ahead of the presidential election. This is all about playing to the environmental left as we approach November. This decision to "pause" LNG permits is a transparent attempt to win over votes from this demographic.
However, this political maneuvering comes at a high cost and may backfire on Biden in pro-energy swing states like Pennsylvania. In fact, the pause received a shockingly cold reaction from the state’s Democratic Senators. In a joint statement, Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman said Biden’s decision "puts Pennsylvania energy jobs at risk."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Newly independent West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has rightly criticized this approach, stating, "It's ridiculous that government action is creating new categories of grid risks instead of preventing the risks."
Concerns about European dependence on Russian energy were magnified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once the war began, the Biden administration was begging the energy sector to step up to help Europe. Now that the election is near, it is no longer politically to their benefit.
Well, Manchin has always been rather spot-on when it comes to energy policy. An all-of-the-above strategy is essential. The administration's reluctance to invest in reliable energy sources like tried-and-true oil and gas or groundbreaking small modular reactors has left us lagging.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Instead, Biden remains solely focused on renewables, which are welcome when part of an all-of-the-above approach, but utterly unreliable for maintaining a stable grid. Reliable baseload energy includes natural gas and nuclear power, including investments in small modular reactors.
The Biden administration’s failures have real consequences for Americans. Texans do not want to see another emergency like last summer when blackouts during a heatwave led to many fatalities. The administration must recognize the need for a balanced energy policy with baseload power that promotes domestic energy production and ensures both national and international energy security.