America has led the world in reducing carbon emissions and promoting innovation by utilizing our abundant, clean, affordable, and reliable energy. Yet President Biden and Democrats in Congress are attempting to force a painful transition on American families and workers with a “rush-to-green” climate agenda that shuts down our vast fossil energy resources, makes it unaffordable to fill your gas tank and heat your home, undermines both our energy security and national security, and stifles technological innovation.
With energy prices surging past record highs, Americans are facing an energy affordability crisis. We are also becoming dangerously dependent on OPEC and China for imported energy resources and technologies. That’s why Energy and Commerce Republicans are recognizing National Clean Energy Week by highlighting our solutions to flip the switch for more American energy. These are real, workable solutions to reduce emissions, strengthen our energy security, and keep energy costs low.
Check out E&C Republicans’ op-eds published in The Washington Times:
E&C Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) warned that we cannot let Europe’s energy crisis – unaffordability, unreliability, and scarcity – become America’s future.
Highlights and key excerpts:
Europe is in the grip of an energy and economic crisis, driven in part by a radical environmental policy agenda that has hurt its ability to counter Russia’s aggression. Europe’s energy prices have been on the rise due to unrealistic climate policies that forced the early retirement of baseload coal and nuclear plants, increased reliance on more expensive, less reliable renewable resources, and discouraged the construction of infrastructure for importing American natural gas. As a result of “rush-to-green” policies, Europe grew more dependent on Russia and more vulnerable to energy supply disruptions and price increases.
Now, Putin is weaponizing Russia’s dominance over Europe’s natural gas supply—prices are 10 times higher than a year ago—and threatening to cut supplies further, which jeopardizes Europeans’ ability to heat their homes this winter.
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We cannot allow Europe’s energy crisis to become America’s future. We’re already seeing a preview of these radical Euro-like policies in California. Governor Newsom’s rush-to-green mandates are phasing out fossil fuels and other reliable sources. California’s grid can’t keep up. Meanwhile, they’ve doubled-down on unreliable and weather-dependent sources like wind and solar. The results are devastating—life-threatening rolling blackouts, energy rationing, reliance on Chinese supply chains, and record high costs.
California’s strategy is divorced from reality. Yet the Biden administration and Democrats in Congress want to nationalize it. Since day one of their one-party rule, Democrats have been shutting down American energy. President Biden shut down the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office. They’ve paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands while delaying permits for pipelines, LNG facilities, and other natural gas infrastructure projects. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Biden has leased fewer acres of federal land for oil and gas drilling than any other president since Harry Truman.
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Restoring a strong energy mix of America’s abundant resources is how we flip the switch on American energy, bring down prices, and ensure our economic and energy security. Hydropower, for instance, is the largest source of clean, renewable energy in the country—accounting for over 30% of total U.S. renewable electricity generation. With solutions like the Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act the U.S. could double hydropower production without building a single new dam.
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The U.S. has done more to lift people out of poverty and raise the standard of living than any nation in the history of the world. That is the promise of America. Free enterprise and innovation, not the Democrats’ rush-to-green mandates, is the proven and best way to restore prosperity and optimism. It’s time to flip the switch on our abundant resources to lower costs for Americans, improve their quality of life, and ensure a cleaner energy future.
CLICK HERE for Leader Rodgers’ full op-ed.
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) wrote an op-ed on how Democrats’ rush-to-green scheme isn’t as environmentally friendly as they claim.
Highlights and key excerpts:
Without question, there is a lot of gaslighting when it comes to discussions surrounding clean energy. The “Green New Left” wants to pick winners and losers in the energy sector and promote their narrow scope of “clean” energy, but their solutions are not always effective or as environmentally friendly as they make them out to be.
I support the use of “clean” energy, but in the context of a market-driven, all-of-the-above strategy that also includes nuclear, natural gas, hydropower, and clean coal.
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However, I have serious concerns regarding the Democrats’ attempts to narrow the scope of our energy sector to include only what they consider to be “clean” energy.
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Take electric vehicles, for example, the Biden Administration’s apparent “solution” to climate change. Relying solely on lithium-ion batteries, an industry dominated by China and often fueled by exploitive child labor, a “clean” electric vehicle comes with a lot of baggage.
In reality, electric vehicles have a remarkably dirty life cycle and generate more emissions during their manufacturing than gas-powered vehicles, mostly due to the production of batteries. The rare earth minerals necessary for the essential magnets in EVs are often mined in countries with little to no environmental regulations or regard for human rights. For example, lithium and cobalt are essential for EV batteries and for storing power from wind and solar, and over 60% of the world’s cobalt supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo where young children work in the mines.
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Instead of forcing a narrow “clean” energy strategy and making the choices for consumers as the Democrats try to do, Republicans support an all-of-the-above energy solution that allows science, technology, innovation, and the market to lead the way.
Nuclear energy, for instance, is clean, reliable, affordable, and secure, and is the only carbon-free energy source that is available 24/7/365. South Carolina’s nuclear power reactors produce 95% of the state’s carbon-free electricity and over half of the state’s total electricity, generating enough electricity each year to power over four million households across the state.
The Biden administration is using the energy crisis and high gas prices to push wind, solar, and electric vehicles on Americans in the name of “clean energy” while killing domestic energy production. As I’ve said before look to Europe’s impending winter of blackouts to see where a radical rush to a “clean” energy agenda would take us. We should instead focus on unleashing the United States’ abundant, reliable, and affordable energy resources instead of pigeonholing ourselves in the Democrats’ “clean” energy agenda.
CLICK HERE for Rep. Duncan’s full op-ed.
Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) shared the importance of nuclear energy for our energy security and national energy.
Highlights and key excerpts:
America’s nuclear energy sector has been on the back burner for too long. After decades of neglect, the first new commercial reactor in 30 years will come online early next year with the completion of Plant Vogtle’s Unit 3 in Georgia.
While this is welcome progress, America’s nuclear energy capabilities are deteriorating right when we need reliable baseload power to meet our ever-growing electricity demand.
This isn’t just an energy concern, it’s a national security concern. From mining to power generation, our world class nuclear industry is losing its competitive advantage to our adversaries primarily Russia and China.
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By investing in nuclear here, and encouraging our allies to do the same, we can eliminate energy dependence on these nations, encourage development, and promote national security for democratic nations worldwide.
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That is why, alongside my Democrat colleague Rep. Scott Peters, I have introduced the Global Nuclear Energy Assessment and Cooperation Act. This bill will take a multi-pronged approach to promoting nuclear energy around the globe.
First, it will prohibit the import of fuels from hostile foreign nations, including Russia and China. This will encourage energy independence and prevent our country from becoming reliant on our enemies for our nuclear energy needs.
Second, it will introduce a program the “International Nuclear Reactor Export and Innovation Branch” at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to focus our international nuclear efforts, including training and sharing expertise with our allies. This will inspire coordination, research, and development for the U.S. and our allies, so we can create a safe and secure world.
Climate change is real and we must protect our environment. Doing so will require an all-of-the-above energy strategy that acknowledges the role of the baseload, emission-free energy that only nuclear can provide, along with other intermittent renewable energy sources in our country’s power grid.
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There is much more that needs to be done for nuclear to flourish in the U.S. We must make it easier to pursue nuclear projects, including permitting reform and cutting unnecessary regulations without sacrificing the U.S. private nuclear industry’s pristine standard of safety and reliability.
This is how we begin to secure a safe, reliable energy future for the United States of America and democracies across the globe. America can be at the forefront of cutting-edge nuclear innovation and development if we let her.
CLICK HERE for Rep. Carter’s full op-ed.
Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) urged the Biden administration to flip the switch on American energy production to regain our energy independence.
A cold and possibly long winter lays ahead of us. While I have not consulted my farmer’s almanac, I can forecast that any federal energy policies that rush to “green” by picking winners and losers in the energy marketplace will be in for a long and cold winter one highlighted by blackouts and gas shortages. The administration’s top-down approach toward energy policy will have serious and harmful effects on our nation. Energy technologies that have demonstrated that they are resilient and capable of operating in inclement weather should be a top priority for policy makers.
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In a misguided rush to drastically lower carbon emissions, the European Union (EU) outsourced all their energy production to Russia and surrendered their sovereignty in the process. Nations within the EU reasoned that the advent of the green economy was imminent. Soon every home would be powered by wind and solar. Unfortunately, despite generous subsidies, mandates, and the criminalization of oil and gas exploration on the continent, renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, have yet to demonstrate that they are able to be reliable contributors. Any energy production system that is reliant on sunny days and gales of wind is not logical. I doubt there is anyone who does not expect their fridge to work on cloudy days or windless mornings.
If we truly want to reach carbon neutrality and assist our EU allies from being held hostage by Russia, American energy technology and products must become a global solution.
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American resources have not evaporated overnight. The Permian Basin has not run dry, the Keystone Pipeline XL could be back on the path to completion by the stroke of the President’s pen, and America could slash carbon emissions by Congress upholding its promise with Yucca Mountain.
The solutions proposed by the Democratic controlled Congress are not workable. Their “solutions” will result in the United States becoming reliant on Russian gas, Saudi Arabian oil, and Chinese solar panels and batteries.
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Most recently hidden within the American Inflation Reduction Act was $370 billion worth of Green New Deal policies, threatening our national and energy security. It is unclear why this administration decided energy dependence is better than energy independence. Democrats further attack American energy producers by taxing natural gas production. This tax will affect nearly every corner of our economy as natural gas is used in heating, manufacturing, and electricity generation. A natural gas tax will have you paying more to warm your home, cook your food, and at the checkout counter.
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The Democrats’ reckless spending, poor planning, and short sightedness will set our country up for failure reducing our energy security, our global leadership, and our environmental impacts. America must not allow itself to become dependent to our adversaries to supply our energy needs. It is only through American energy leadership and independence that we can ensure our national security, more jobs at home, and a cleaner environment.
CLICK HERE for Rep. Burgess’ full op-ed.
CLICK HERE for more on the Securing Cleaner American Energy agenda.
Original source can be found here.
