Washington, D.C. - House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change Republican Leader David B. McKinley (R-WV) spoke at the beginning of Monday’s forum on Capitol Hill on the Biden administration’s environmental agenda. The forum, “Mounting Costs: The Real Harm of the Biden Administration’s Environmental Agenda on the American People and the Economy," features members of Congress and experts, is being hosted by Subcommittee Leader McKinley.
Excerpts and highlights from his prepared remarks:
THE COST OF A NET ZERO EMISSIONS ECONOMY
“President Biden and Congressional Democrats are pushing climate proposals calling for zero carbon emissions from power plants by 2035 and net zero emissions economy-wide by 2050.
“Can this be done? Yes. But there are consequences: and that’s what we want the public to understand. Rising energy prices, massive job losses, dangerously high global CO2 levels, and we will still will have extreme weather threats.
“First, the average price of electricity would almost double by 2035 according to the Electric Power Research Institute, if we go 100 percent renewable.
“The Institute for Energy Research and others have testified that residential utility bills will skyrocket between $2,000 to $4,000 per year with 100 percent renewables.
“Increasing the cost of electricity hurts energy intensive industries like steel and aluminum, making them loss competitive.
“Second, we will see massive job losses. Nearly 200,000 coal jobs would disappear with the elimination of coal-fired power generation according to the Energy Futures Initiative. Much needed tax revenue gone, hurting schools, hospitals, first responders.
“Let’s use McDowell County, West Virginia, for example. The closure of coal mines and power plants in McDowell County caused a loss of 80 percent of its population.
“Counties across the country are reeling from broken promises of economic programs.
“According to the president of the United Mine Workers, people in Appalachia believe that there’ll be the second coming of the Lord before they see a ‘just transition.’"
AMERICANS ARE PAYING MORE FOR EVERYTHING
“Third, it’s more than electricity costs. Americans are paying more for everything.
“Gasoline prices have surged 56 percent over the past year, transporting goods is up 11.2 percent since May 2020, and food is rising at levels not seen in 30 years.
“This war on fossil fuels is being exacerbated by inflation which is at a 13 year high.
“Fourth, CO2 levels will still be at dangerous levels, above 350 PPM, according to John Kerry who also said that we could go to zero tomorrow and it would have no effect on global CO2 levels.
“Fifth, all of this economic devastation and we’re still going to experience extreme weather events unless China and India reduce their emissions according to testimony to this Congress.
“So let me get this straight, utility bills will rise, neighbors will lose their jobs, schools will lose funding, CO2 in the atmosphere will still be dangerously high, and we will still have extreme weather events."
