President Joe Biden rolled out new actions on Friday to curb oil production and mining in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alaska</a>, drawing criticism from Republicans and local leaders who say the move will compromise national security and hurt the economy. 
The action, taken through the Department of Interior, blocks the granting of any new leases for oil drilling or mining on 13 million acres of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Alaska is also blocked from building a road to a copper deposit in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. The deposit was estimated to contain about $7.5 billion worth of copper, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/19/climate/biden-alaska-drilling-mining-nrpa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The New York Times. 
“I am proud that my Administration is taking action to conserve more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic and to honor the culture, history, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on and stewarded these lands since time immemorial,” Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/04/19/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-protecting-alaskas-arctic-lands-waters-and-wildlife/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “My Administration will continue to take ambitious action to meet the urgency of the climate crisis, protect America’s lands and waters, and fulfill our responsibility to the next generation of Americans.”
The decision drew sharp criticism from Republicans who said that the move would weaken America’s domestic energy production.
“Joe Biden is fine with our adversaries producing energy and dominating the world’s critical minerals while shutting down our own in America, as long as the far-left radicals he feels are key to his reelection are satisfied,’&#8217; Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) said. “What a dangerous world this president has created.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our adversaries are celebrating the Biden administration’s sanctions against America’s energy &amp; critical mineral production—locking up Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve and blocking access to the prolific Ambler Mining District. 
No wonder authoritarians are on the march. <a href="https://t.co/PcUwIqUDB0">pic.twitter.com/PcUwIqUDB0</a>
&mdash; Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenDanSullivan/status/1781071636860399644?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Leaders of the North Slope Borough, the home to the National Petroleum Reserve, <a href="https://voiceofthearcticinupiat.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NPR-A-Press-Release-4.19.24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> Biden’s decision.
“The DOI seems to believe that they care about this land more than we do,” said North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Patkotak. “The elected leaders of the North Slope spoke in unison in opposition to this rule and the rulemaking process. To refuse to listen to our voices is to say that you know better &#8211; better than the people who have been this land’s stewards for the past 10,000 years, and who depend on its continued health for their own survival.”
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Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/war-on-alaska-biden-admin-cancels-alaskan-oil-and-gas-leases-bans-drilling-on-millions-of-acres" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first announced</a> the plan to stop granting new leases back in September as part of his broader push to guide the United States toward a so-called “green transition.” Climate activists have still been upset with Biden, even after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-oil-executive-details-how-biden-is-a-drag-on-the-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled</a> the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and aggressively pushed green energy because he did <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-arctic-refuge-oil-gas-leases-interior-318dcc3f2d5b104a800bf3ba48e764b7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allow</a> the Willow oil project in Alaska’s North Slope to go forward. 
As Biden has restricted domestic energy production, gas prices have remained high and are <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently</a> up about 20 cents per gallon in the last month, according to recent data.

General Views Of The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

Biden Slammed After Taking New Action To Curb Oil Production In Alaska

Alaska

Department of Interior

Energy

Joe Biden

Politics

Despite the best efforts of the Biden administration to move toward green alternatives, oil remains a vital commodity to not only the American economy but also global civilization in general. Easy access to the substance can be the deciding factor between a country&#8217;s prosperity and its descent into chaos and poverty.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-nixes-plan-to-help-refill-strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had canceled plans to help refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, citing a rise in crude oil prices to $85 a barrel. The government had previously announced in March that it would solicit up to 3 million barrels for a facility in Louisiana as part of its efforts to resupply the SPR.
The Energy Department claimed to be “keeping the taxpayer’s interest at the forefront.” The agency said, “We will not award the current solicitations for the Bayou Choctaw SPR site and will solicit available capacity as market conditions allow,” adding, “We will continue to monitor market dynamics.”
In an attempt to stimulate skyrocketing gas prices in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Biden administration <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/10/19/biden-to-announce-more-oil-reserve-sales-to-reduce-gas-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">initiated</a> a 180-million-barrel <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-announce-new-actions-to-strengthen-u-s-energy-security-encourage-production-and-bring-down-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drawdown</a> of the SPR in 2022, decreasing the reserve to its <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/02/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lowest level in decades</a>. Since that drawdown, Biden has slowly purchased more oil, around 32 million barrels, but the reserve is still well below where it was before Biden took office.
<div id="attachment_719633" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719633" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-719633" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-769x576.jpg" alt="FREEPORT, TEXAS - OCTOBER 19: In an aerial view, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve storage at the Bryan Mound site is seen on October 19, 2022 in Freeport, Texas. US President Joe Biden is planning to release fifteen million barrels of oil from the nation's emergency reserves in an effort to continue curving gas prices around the country. The deal completes Biden's March initiative to release 180 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-769x576.jpg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-1434804700.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />Brandon Bell/Getty Images</div>
The SPR currently stands at <a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/table1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">363.6 million barrels</a> according to recent data, down from around <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-business-opec-climate-and-environment-cd15107ef2e0bb49db9165eb190b450c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">600 million</a> barrels in late 2021 and nearly half the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/spr-quick-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized storage capacity</a> of 714 million barrels.
Though the administration&#8217;s decision on the SPR was received passively by the mainstream media, it&#8217;s actually a pretty massive deal for those who remember why it was created in the first place.
The SPR, “the world’s largest supply of emergency crude oil,&#8221; was established in 1975 specifically to &#8220;reduce the impact of disruptions in supplies of petroleum products&#8221; in the wake of the oil crisis of the mid-1970s, the Energy Department <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a>.
In retaliation for supporting Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, the Arab-dominated OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-oil-embargo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> an embargo on oil exports to the United States. Within a year, the price for a barrel of oil in the U.S. quadrupled, and the nation suffered its first oil shortage since World War II.
In response, the federal government lowered the national speed limit to 55 mph in order to reduce oil consumption, several states <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/05/13/gas-shortages-1970s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> rationing schemes, and gas lines <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/pictureshow/2012/11/10/164792293/gas-lines-evoke-memories-oil-crises-in-the-1970s#:~:text=During%20two%20separate%20oil%20crises,they%20tried%20to%20fill%20up." target="_blank" rel="noopener">became</a> common. One common scheme to control gas consumption was to only allow cars with license plates that ended in an odd number to refuel on an odd day of the month, and vice versa for cars with license plates ending in an even number.
<div id="attachment_719631" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-719631" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-719631" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-866x576.jpg" alt="Drivers queue for fuel at a petrol station near Trenton, New Jersey, USA, circa 1974. The country has been hit by worldwide fuel shortages caused by the oil embargo imposed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). (Photo by Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/04/GettyImages-155367107.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Frederic Lewis/Archive Photos/Getty Images</div>
The U.S. economy <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/arab-oil-embargo-40-years-later" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shrank</a> by an estimated 2.5% because of the crisis. Though the embargo was ended after negotiations between the U.S. and OPEC in March 1974, the surge in prices and unemployment contributed to the stagflation the plagued the U.S. economy for the rest of the decade.
After it was established in 1975, the SPR was quickly stocked throughout the 1980s, remaining relatively stable during the next three decades and even reaching a high of over 715 million barrels around 2010.
The oil crisis also motivated the government to encourage more domestic oil production, <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/1973-energy-crisis-definition-5222090" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reducing</a> the nation&#8217;s reliance on OPEC oil from around 70% of total oil imports in the early &#8217;70s to around 16% <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&amp;t=6#:~:text=Crude%20oil%20imports%20of%20about,%2C%20and%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">today</a>. The U.S. also sources a majority of its oil imports from Canada. Still, the U.S. imports over 8 million barrels of oil per day from around the world, <a href="https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=727&amp;t=6#:~:text=Crude%20oil%20imports%20of%20about,%2C%20and%20U.S.%20Virgin%20Islands)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Energy Information Administration, and as shown by the global supply chain disruptions seen during the pandemic, global events can still wreak havoc on domestic prices.
The SPR was not intended to be used as the president&#8217;s oil piggy bank — broken open to drive down gas prices and shore up his party&#8217;s chances in the upcoming midterms. It&#8217;s there to stave off the gas lines that marked the 1973 oil crisis and keep the military machine going in the event the nation is cut off from overseas oil.
A full-scale conflict in the Middle East — home to major oil exporters like Iraq and Saudi Arabia — or a war between the U.S. and China in the Pacific would certainly sow discord in global trade. If global tensions continue to escalate and the SPR remains understocked, the president threatens to leave the nation disastrously short of a critical product for a significant length of time.

Remember The ’70s Oil Crisis: Biden’s Reluctance To Restock America’s Oil Reserves Should Be A Massive Red Flag

Remember The '70s Oil Crisis: Biden's Reluctance To Restock America's Oil Reserves Should Be A Massive Red Flag

Biden Administration

Middle East

OPEC

Readers Pass

Strategic Petroleum Reserve

U.S.

On Wednesday, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> announced that it was stepping back from a plan to refill the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> (SPR) following a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-putin-biden-climate-and-environment-government-politics-7fa1a7e4c1d2196856566f9401d8369b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significant drawdown</a> in recent years.
Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-03/us-cancels-latest-oil-reserve-refill-plan-amid-high-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> the decision marks a reversal from last month&#8217;s announcement to solicit <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/articles/us-department-energy-announces-two-solicitations-purchase-oil-strategic-petroleum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to 3 million barrels</a> to a Louisiana site in August and September. It also coincides with crude oil prices reaching their highest level in months as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/04/02/oil-prices-climb-to-five-month-high-on-escalating-middle-east-tensions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">geopolitical tensions</a> increase.
The Energy Department claimed to be &#8220;keeping the taxpayer&#8217;s interest at the forefront.&#8221; The agency said, &#8220;We will not award the current solicitations for the Bayou Choctaw SPR site and will solicit available capacity as market conditions allow,&#8221; adding, &#8220;We will continue to monitor market dynamics.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/strategic%20petroleum%20reserve%20factsheet.2_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Started in 1975,</a> the SPR is &#8220;the world&#8217;s largest supply of emergency crude oil … established primarily to reduce the impact of disruptions in supplies of petroleum products and to carry out obligations of the United States under the international energy program,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Energy Department</a>.
The SPR plummeted to its <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/11/02/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-levels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lowest level in decades</a> in 2022 after the Biden administration announced a 180-million-barrel <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/18/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-announce-new-actions-to-strengthen-u-s-energy-security-encourage-production-and-bring-down-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drawdown</a> in an attempt to stabilize global oil markets and <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/10/19/biden-to-announce-more-oil-reserve-sales-to-reduce-gas-prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">combat rising gasoline prices</a>.
Recent data showed the SPR at <a href="https://www.eia.gov/petroleum/supply/weekly/pdf/table1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">363.6 million barrels</a> — far below the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/spr-quick-facts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authorized storage capacity</a> of 714 million barrels — after it topped <a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-inflation-business-opec-climate-and-environment-cd15107ef2e0bb49db9165eb190b450c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">600 million barrels</a> as recently as late 2021.
U.S. oil futures rose to $85 per barrel for the first time since October on Tuesday, which MarketWatch <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/u-s-oil-benchmark-tops-85-a-barrel-as-middle-east-tensions-escalate-8d5dd06a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attributed</a> to concerns about a direct conflict between Israel and Iran following a strike in Syria that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-escalation-alleged-israeli-airstrike-kills-top-iranian-general-in-syria" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed</a> a top Iranian commander. Also mentioned in the report were Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities.
The Biden administration has made <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-announces-repurchase-oil-strategic-petroleum-reserve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declarations</a> since late 2022 pledging to work toward repurchasing crude oil for the SPR.
Just last week, the Energy Department said it <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/us-to-buy-oil-for-spr-oil-at-above-$79-target-price-in-latest-round" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchased</a> 2.8 million barrels for a site in Texas despite the cost being $81 dollars a barrel, $2 over the U.S. target price, making for a total of 32.3 million barrels of oil brought for the SPR at an <a href="https://www.energy.gov/ceser/articles/biden-harris-administration-continues-secure-good-deal-taxpayers-replenishment-6#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20DOE%20has%20purchased,a%20good%20deal%20for%20taxpayers." target="_blank" rel="noopener">average price of $76.98</a>.
The news on Wednesday that the agency was backing away from the solicitation for 3 million barrels meant for the Louisiana site in Bayou Choctaw drew fresh criticism.
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“It’s pure insanity to watch the Biden Administration cut American oil production and then claim they can’t refill our critical reserve because of the price,” Daniel Turner, founder and executive director for Power The Future, said in a statement, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-admin-cancels-plan-to-refill-emergency-oil-reserve-amid-high-prices">according</a> to Fox Business.
&#8220;[President] Joe Biden drained the SPR for political reasons, cut our domestic production for his climate agenda, and now he’s leaving our critical reserve more vulnerable because he’s incompetent,&#8221; Turner added. &#8220;As a result, Americans are paying more at the pump, more at the grocery store and our SPR is less full during a time of rising turmoil in the Middle East.&#8221;

Strategic Petroleum Reserves Release Ordered By President Biden To Curb Rises Gas Prices

Biden Admin Nixes Plan To Help Refill Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Department of Energy

Experts are warning that the state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hawaii&#8217;s</a> ruling against oil companies is a &#8220;stalking horse&#8221; for effectively forcing Americans to live under the Green New Deal.
The warnings come as the U.S. Supreme Court <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/oil-majors-take-hawaii-court-climate-decision-to-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considers</a> taking up the case after the companies filed an appeal over the ruling. Some of the justices on the Hawaii Supreme Court have cited the &#8220;spirit of Aloha&#8221; in their rulings, which critics say is clear mockery directed at the U.S. Constitution.
The city of Honolulu claimed in its lawsuit that oil companies like Exxon and Chevron should pay billions of dollars because they were responsible for weather events that it claimed were caused by climate change, including sea level rise, heat waves, flooding, and global warming.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hawaiis-big-oil-suit-stalking-horse-green-new-deal-push-nationwide-experts-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the oil companies initially appealed the ruling with the Hawaii Supreme Court, noting that federal law prevents states from shaping policies for all states.
Carrie Severino, president of Judicial Crisis Network (JCN), said &#8220;one rogue state court in Hawaii can’t dictate climate policy for the nation&#8221; and that &#8220;it’s Congress’ job to set national policy in this area.&#8221;
Former Arizona Solicitor General O.H. Skinner, the CEO of Alliance for Consumers, said that the ruling was &#8220;a stalking horse for the Green New Deal, with lefty enclaves looking to strong-arm progressive lifestyle choices onto an otherwise unwilling public by targeting industries that have yet to fall in line with the progressive ideal.&#8221;
&#8220;The hyper-ideological justices on the Hawaii Supreme Court seem to want to bankrupt fossil fuel companies and see this lawsuit as a magical key that unlocks unlimited power and a lot of money for progressive agendas,&#8221; Skinner said.
The report noted that Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald has worked in collaboration with a hard-Left judicial advocacy group called the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) that exists to indoctrinate judges on &#8220;how to handle climate change litigation that comes before them.&#8221;
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Other justices on Hawaii&#8217;s top court have questioned the legitimacy of the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that &#8220;the Aloha Spirit inspires constitutional interpretation.&#8221;
Justices have also allowed their personal feelings to help dictate their rulings, including one who said in the ruling that in her &#8220;view,&#8221; climate change was &#8220;the most important issue facing all courts in the world at this point. It’s an existential threat.&#8221;
Skinner noted that the ruling that Hawaii wants will have a profound impact on Americans&#8217; ability to live, especially in the era of having to deal with high costs due to the inflation that President Joe Biden caused with his American Rescue Plan in early 2021.
&#8220;Honolulu’s proverbial ‘spirit of Aloha’ assault here, if left unchecked, will actually bore a hole in the pockets of Americans as it marches across industry after industry, increasing the costs of food, cars, travel, and all the other basic building blocks of the modern American life at a pace that everyday Americans won’t be able to afford,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is the high court’s problem because it will have compounding impacts on everyday Americans who are already struggling to keep up with the rising costs just to live a decent life.&#8221;

Climate Activists Protest Outside The Annual White House Correspondents Dinner

Experts Warn Hawaii’s Extreme Climate Ruling Is A ‘Stalking Horse’ For Green New Deal

Green New Deal

Hawaii

Supreme Court

Former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump&#8217;s</a> presidential campaign fired back at President Joe Biden&#8217;s finalized plan unveiled on Wednesday that is considered to be the most extreme push in history to destroy the gas-powered car industry and force consumers to drive what will be, in effect, government-mandated electric vehicles.
&#8220;Joe Biden&#8217;s extreme electric vehicle mandate will force Americans to buy ultra-expensive cars they do not want and cannot afford while destroying the U.S. auto industry in the process,&#8221; a Trump campaign spokesperson said in a statement. &#8220;This radical policy is anti-jobs, anti-consumer, and anti-American. It will destroy the livelihoods of countless U.S. autoworkers while sending the U.S. auto industry to China.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump will reverse Joe Biden&#8217;s extreme electric vehicle mandate on Day One,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;He will protect the freedom of Americans to drive whichever vehicle they choose, enhance President Trump’s tough tariffs on Chinese-imported cars, and save the U.S. auto industry for generations to come.&#8221;
The finalized rule was a concession to far-Left environmentalists who demanded the most aggressive effort ever to eliminate combustion engine vehicles.
The Washington Post, which called the effort “controversial,” <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/03/20/biden-car-emissions-rules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the rule will force automakers to rapidly “ramp up sales of electric vehicles while slashing carbon emissions from gasoline-powered models.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claimed that its national pollution standard, which could end up getting killed in the courts, would prevent more than 7 billion tons of carbon emissions, which it claimed would provide $100 billion in annual benefits to the U.S.
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A statement from the EPA claims that the rule will prevent &#8220;up to 2,500 premature deaths in 2055&#8221; and will reduce &#8220;heart attacks, respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses, aggravated asthma, and decreased lung function.&#8221;
American Fuel &amp; Petrochemical Manufacturers President and CEO Chet Thompson and American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Mike Sommers said in a joint statement that Congress needed to stop the extreme agenda.
&#8220;At a time when millions of Americans are struggling with high costs and inflation, the Biden administration has finalized a regulation that will unequivocally eliminate most new gas cars and traditional hybrids from the U.S. market in less than a decade,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;As much as the President and EPA claim to have ‘eased’ their approach, nothing could be further from the truth.&#8221;
&#8220;This regulation will make new gas-powered vehicles unavailable or prohibitively expensive for most Americans,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;For them, this wildly unpopular policy is going to feel and function like a ban.&#8221;

US-VOTE-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Campaign Vows To Reverse Biden’s New ‘Extreme Electric Vehicle Mandate’

Donald Trump

Electric cars

The majority of voters in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a> oppose restrictions on natural gas production while a plurality say that they trust former President Donald Trump more than President Joe Biden on the issue of affordable energy, according to a new poll.
The <a href="https://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Commonwealth-Foundation-Survey-3.19.24-Presentation.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a>, put out by the Commonwealth Foundation, a Pennsylvania based public policy group, comes as both Trump and Biden attempt to win voters in the battleground state, one key for Trump&#8217;s victory in 2016 and Biden&#8217;s in 2020. Those polled were also skeptical of climate initiatives that would restrict domestic energy production and said that the issue of energy affordability was a major issue for them heading into 2024.
“Pennsylvania voters have made it clear they prioritize energy affordability and reliability over climate alarmism,” said André Béliveau, the Commonwealth Foundation’s senior manager of energy policy. “Likewise, Pennsylvanians overwhelmingly support economic freedom and oppose excessive government regulations and red tape.”
When asked who they trusted more with energy, 37% said they backed Trump, 34% supported Biden, 15% were undecided, 4% favored Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and the rest were split by a variety of other candidates who have since dropped out of the 2024 race.
At a briefing on the polling attended by The Daily Wire, Béliveau said that the data showed that Pennsylvanians were prioritizing “affordability and reliability over anything else,” especially over “climate alarmism.”
“Energy affordability is going to be a top priority for voters in Pennsylvania, especially as we’re leading up to the elections in November,” he said. Fifty-four percent of voters said they opposed Biden’s recent decision to pause the approval of new liquefied gas exports, a decision that has been questioned by Democrat Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman as Pennsylvania is one of the largest state exporters of natural gas.
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The poll also found that 55% of voters agreed with a statement saying that there was too much red tape on energy production leading to higher costs, while 30% said that there were not enough penalties for companies over their carbon emissions. Sixty-seven percent of those surveyed said that affordable energy should be a higher priority for the government as opposed to focusing on climate change.
When asked by The Daily Wire why energy prices were continuing to rise, Béliveau said that the amount of permitting and regulations involved in developing natural gas had slowed down how quickly natural gas could get into the market. He said that many regulations pushed energy producers into neighboring states with fewer regulations like West Virginia and Ohio.

Marcellus Shale Gas Pipeline Header

Voters In Key Swing State Oppose Restrictions On Natural Gas, Favor Trump Over Biden On Energy Policies: Poll

2024 Election

Natural gas

Pennsylvania

New Mexico may be small in terms of population, but we are the second largest producer of oil. We punch well above our weight when it comes to American energy and that’s becoming a problem for President Joe Biden.
New <a href="https://powerthefuture.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FINAL-PTF-New-Mexico-Statewide-Survey.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling data</a> show Biden’s support in our state plummeting. With an approval rating of just 41% and a disapproval rating of 57%, Biden finds himself 16 points underwater. This decline is particularly worrying for the President, given that he won New Mexico by a comfortable <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-faces-dire-disapproval-ratings-among-hispanics-in-state-he-won-big-in-2020-poll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10-point margin</a> during the 2020 election.
One of the significant concerns for Biden is the erosion of his support among Hispanics. While a 2022 poll indicated a 53% approval rating among the Hispanic community, that number has dropped dramatically to a mere 36% today. This marks a significant 17-point dip in less than two years. Keep in mind, Hispanics make up more of the population in New Mexico than in any other state. We are a minority-majority state. If they’re abandoning Biden here, they’re likely doing so in other states too.
The top issues of concern in New Mexico revolve around the economy, crime, illegal immigration, and the cost of living. Unfortunately for Biden, these are precisely the areas where he is failing to resonate with voters.
A particularly contentious issue is Biden&#8217;s complete embrace of the green agenda. Having worked in the natural gas industry for 30 years, this is personal for me. A staggering 54% of New Mexicans believe the oil and natural gas industry is the most crucial sector for the state&#8217;s economy, surpassing all other industries combined. Despite New Mexico being the nation&#8217;s second-largest oil producer, Biden often attacks this vital industry. Recently, his administration canceled all exports of liquefied natural gas, a devastating blow for our foreign buyers, our allies in Europe.
Adding insult to injury, the recent actions of President Joe Biden and New Mexico&#8217;s Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/michelle-lujan-grisham" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelle Lujan Grisham</a> regarding the imposition of regulations on natural gas production in our state are concerning to say the least. Despite New Mexico&#8217;s position as a national energy leader, these onerous rules seem to be aimed at hindering rather than promoting the industry that supports our state.
It is particularly disheartening to note that these regulations were announced by the Biden administration and Governor Grisham while they attended an elitist United Nations climate conference in Dubai. This exclusive gathering, held thousands of miles away from our state, hardly seems like an appropriate venue for discussing and implementing policies that will directly impact our energy industry.
Furthermore, the practical result of these regulations is effectively a tax on natural gas production. This additional financial burden on the industry can only serve to stifle growth and hinder job creation in our state. It is puzzling why our leaders would choose to impose such fees when New Mexico plays such a crucial role in meeting the nation&#8217;s energy needs.
Additionally, electric vehicles (EVs) have become a contentious topic in New Mexico. While Governor Grisham was on Biden’s shortlist for vice president and is pushing for EV mandates, it is evident that New Mexicans oppose such measures. A staggering 59% of voters oppose EV mandates, with 72% believing they will lead to increased costs. This opposition to EVs further compounds Biden&#8217;s difficulties in securing support from the citizens of New Mexico.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/the-divided-states-of-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: &#8220;The Divided States of Biden with Ben Shapiro&#8221; on DailyWire+</a></h4>
If the economy is the primary concern, Biden&#8217;s pursuit of the green agenda is undoubtedly a major obstacle to overcome in this small state. With the majority of New Mexicans understanding the pivotal role that the oil and natural gas industry plays in their economy, the president&#8217;s attacks on this sector have been met with strong resistance. Furthermore, the push for EV mandates has faced overwhelming opposition, with voters expressing concerns over increased costs.
The results speak for themselves: what is important to the people isn’t important to Joe Biden. He could be focusing on policies that prioritize the state&#8217;s economic growth, address crime concerns, tackle illegal immigration effectively, and alleviate the rising cost of living, but his agenda won’t allow it.
Our little state is sending a big message to Joe Biden, but it’s doubtful he will ever listen.
* * *
Senator David Gallegos (R) represents some of the most productive energy land in the entire country. He worked for over 30 years in the natural gas industry before being elected to the state legislature in 2013 where he continually fights for American energy independence, 2nd Amendment rights, and the Right-to-Life. Senator Gallegos proudly lives in the Permian Basin in the town of Eunice, New Mexico with his wife.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

President Biden Delivers Remarks On The Inflation Reduction Act And Clean Energy

This Small State Is Sending A Big Message To Joe Biden

New Mexico

Oil and Gas

Polls

An ironic plot twist caused a planned vote to limit sales on gas-powered cars in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/maine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maine</a>, forcing a transition to electric vehicles, to come to a screeching halt: a widespread power outage following recent storms that brought heavy rains and high winds.
The Maine Board of Environmental Protection <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/21/politics/maine-delays-electric-vehicle-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was scheduled</a> to take a final vote on the proposal — which would have called for electric and plug-in hybrids to total 43% of new vehicle sales by 2027 and over 80% by 2032 — but after Governor Janet Mills (D-ME) declared a state of emergency on Tuesday, the vote was <a href="https://www.maine.gov/tools/whatsnew/index.php?topic=DEP+PublicMeeting&amp;id=12077607&amp;v=govdel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postponed</a> until early February.
In addition to the vote being postponed, the effective date of the potential policy has been pushed to 2028 for the first threshold. The board would reevaluate the situation in 2028 to determine the next steps in whether a full transition to electric vehicles would be feasible.
A non-binding vote in October showed that the majority of the board supported the move, but there has been a fair amount of pushback from car dealers and Republican lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) has also <a href="https://golden.house.gov/media/press-releases/golden-statement-on-maine-board-of-environmental-protection-electric-vehicle-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued a statement</a> opposing it.
&#8220;The Maine Board of Environmental Protection will vote on proposed rules that would establish a California-style set of mandates forcing Maine auto dealers – and ultimately their customers – to purchase zero emission vehicles,&#8221; Golden said. &#8220;Earlier this year, I submitted testimony in opposition to such a mandate and have taken every opportunity in Congress to vote against policy that amounts to de facto electric vehicle mandates. Forcing Mainers to purchase cars and trucks powered by electricity when our grid is insufficient, charging stations are few and far between, and a storm like yesterday’s would render 80% of cars useless is, to say the least, ill-advised. As I wrote in my testimony, keeping Maine’s environment healthy is a goal we all share, but it’s one that demands thoughtful, place-based policy-making – not the broad-stroke application of a California law that would place an undue burden on hard-working Mainers.&#8221;
Several types of vehicles would be exempt from the policy even if it passes, according to a <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/21/politics/maine-delays-electric-vehicle-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Bangor Daily News. Among them: &#8220;emergency, off-road, rural postal carrier and military vehicles, along with rental vehicles with a final destination outside Maine.&#8221;
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Electric vehicles made up just 6% of new vehicle sales in Maine this year.

Electric Vehicles Charging

Ironic Plot Twist Slams The Brakes On Maine Vote To Ban Gas Cars

Environment

Power

The Alaska Democratic Party is exploring amending its platform to call for an end to all oil drilling and fracking in the state, according to documents obtained by The Daily Wire.
In a document where members of the Alaska State Democratic Party&#8217;s Climate Caucus can suggest changes to the party&#8217;s platform, some are calling for a complete end to oil development in one of America&#8217;s premier oil-producing states.
One member of the caucus, Tim Hinterberger, condemned oil development in its entirety. Hinterberger, a professor at the University of Alaska at Anchorage, proposed that the party delete a statement from its current platform that pledges support for &#8220;responsible oil development performed in a manner that protects our fish, game, and wildlife resources.”
&#8220;At this advanced stage of climate disruption, no oil development is responsible,&#8221; Hinterberger wrote.
<div class="image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-667453 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-300x145.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="417" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-300x145.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-1024x496.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-768x372.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-1536x743.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/Alaska-Dems-12-2048x991.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px" /></div>
While some in the Alaska Democratic Party call for a complete end to oil production, the state’s economy remains largely dependent on the industry. Alaska produced <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/oil-and-petroleum-products/where-our-oil-comes-from.php">159,611,000 barrels</a> of crude oil in 2022, making it the fifth-highest producer of any American state. The oil industry was also estimated to have been <a href="https://www.akrdc.org/oil-and-gas#:~:text=In%202018%2C%20the%20industry%20accounted,%244.8%20billion%20in%20Alaska%20wages.">responsible</a> for $4.8 billion in wages and 77,600 direct and indirect jobs in 2018. The oil industry even accounts for about one-half of the state’s total economy when taking into account state spending of revenues from the industry.
The statement in support of “responsible oil development” was just one such line that those involved in editing the platform are calling on the party to remove. Must Read Alaska <a href="https://mustreadalaska.com/climate-cult-what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-democrat-in-alaska-new-platform-may-oppose-all-oil-and-gas/">reported</a> that those involved in the modification of the platform also urged the party to ax a separate portion of the platform that advocated for oil and gas to be procured under certain circumstances.
The report found that those editing the document also urged the party to remove a portion that read “the monetizing of Alaska’s North Slope natural gas resources in a safe and environmentally responsible manner as soon as it is economically feasible to do so” and also advocated for offshore drilling and fracking under certain circumstances.
The calls for an end to oil development come as the oil industry in Alaska has experienced decline, retreating significantly from 1998 the state accounted for a quarter of the United State’s oil production.
Rick Whitbeck, the Alaska State Director of <a href="https://powerthefuture.com/about-us/">Power the Future</a>, a nonprofit organization that advocates for those who work in the energy space, warned that curtailing the state’s petroleum industry would have devastating consequences and charged that the proposed change to the Democratic Party’s platform is “both irresponsible and radical.”
“Alaska would quickly be bankrupt if our petroleum industry was shuttered.  Nearly 20% of our private-sector workforce is paid – directly or indirectly – by oil and gas development revenues, so you’d see a mass exodus of people as well,” Whitbeck told The Daily Wire. “Philanthropy would dry up, our vibrant arts and culture programs would go unfunded and our infrastructure would crumble without revenues to keep them maintained.”
He went on to contend that the Biden administration currently has a “choke-hold” on new energy developments, which means that the U.S. “needs all of the existing projects operating full-throttle, so we don’t become even more dependent on foreign countries for our domestic oil demand.”
Alaska’s only statewide elected official from the Democratic Party, Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK), declined to comment directly on the potential changes in the state party’s platform, but did assert that losing the oil and gas industry would significantly damage the state’s economy.
“Oil and gas supports thousands of jobs in-state, directly and indirectly, and provides crucial revenue for the state and local communities. Losing these industries without effectively transitioning to other energy sources would be significantly harmful to Alaska,” Rep. Peltola’s office told The Daily Wire before pointing to her support of the Willow Project, which she <a href="https://alaskapublic.org/2023/09/06/peltola-nearing-one-year-in-office-touts-her-support-for-willow-and-other-energy-projects/">called</a> “the largest North Slope oilfield investment in decades.”
Tim Hinterberger did not respond to a request for comment.

Alaska Oil Pipeline

Alaska Democratic Party Considers A Call To End All Oil Production

Less than a year after Ford announced it would increase production of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, the motor company has reportedly decided to cut that projected boost in half beginning in 2024. 
Earlier this year, Ford planned to produce around 3,200 F-150 Lightinings per week at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, which assembles all of the electric pickup trucks produced by Ford. Beginning in January, however, Ford will drop its production of the F-150 Lightning down to 1,600 per week, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2023/12/11/f-150-lightning-ford-cuts-2024-production-plans-in-half.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, citing a source familiar with the decision.  
A memo sent to suppliers and obtained by <a href="https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/ford-cutting-f-150-lightning-ev-production-half-memo-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Automotive News</a> said the EV production cuts are due to “changing market demand.” A Ford spokesman simply told CNBC that the company would “continue to match production with customer demand.&#8221; 
The reported cuts come in the wake of Ford slashing $12 billion in EV investments as the motor company struggles to sell its all-electric vehicles to consumers who still appear to have concerns about transitioning from gas to electric, especially as retail prices for most EVs remain high. 
So far, Ford has sold more than 20,000 F-150 Lightnings this year, up 54% from last year, according to CNBC. The increase in sales was bolstered by the motor company’s decision to slash the F-150 Lightning’s price by $10,000 over the summer, meaning the most affordable version of the truck is now $50,000. Meanwhile, drivers can purchase a gas-powered F-150 SuperCrew for around <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-slashes-f-150-lightning-ev-production-to-match-customer-demand-164345409.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$40,000</a>. 
Ford’s planned cuts to EV production also come on the tail end of a $9.2 billion loan from the Biden administration intended to help construct three electric vehicle battery plants as the federal government under Biden continues to push American companies and consumers toward electric alternatives in the name of fighting climate change. 
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Ford has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-loses-billions-on-electric-cars-embraces-hybrids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected</a> it will lose $4.5 billion on EVs this year, and the motor company said it lost around $32,000 for every EV it sold during the second quarter of 2023. Ford is also delaying production at a battery plant in <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-slashes-f-150-lightning-ev-production-to-match-customer-demand-164345409.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> and significantly reduced its commitment to a battery plant in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whitmer-orders-all-state-government-vehicles-to-be-100-electric-days-after-signing-extreme-green-energy-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michigan</a>, cutting 800 jobs and more than $1 billion.

Ford F-150 Lightning

Ford To Slash Planned Production Of Its All-Electric F-150 In Half Citing ‘Changing Market Demand’

Business

electric vehicles

Ford Motor Co.

Trucks

A solar energy company recently awarded $3 billion by the Biden administration has been accused of scamming elderly people, and Republican leaders in the House and Senate are now asking the Energy Department to provide more details about the deal.
Sunnova Energy Corporation, a residential and commercial solar energy company based in Houston, benefited from “the single largest commitment ever made by the Federal Government to solar power” when the Biden administration <a href="https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/doe-announces-3-billion-partial-loan-guarantee-sunnovas-project-hestia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a loan guarantee with the energy company on September 28. Recent “<a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso/status/1733234679761756625" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credible reports</a> of predatory sales strategies,” however, alarmed Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. 
“We are alarmed about recent, credible reports that Sunnova has racked up numerous consumer complaints, including those alleging troubling sales practices, such as Sunnova pressing elderly homeowners in poor health to sign long-term contracts costing tens of thousands of dollars,” Barrasso and McMorris Rodgers wrote in a <a href="https://d1dth6e84htgma.cloudfront.net/12_07_2023_Joint_Letter_to_DOE_LPO_c9ac40dc52.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> sent earlier this week to Jigar Shah, the director of the Loan Programs Office (LPO) at the U.S. Department of Energy. 
“These reports cite interviews with individuals who struggled to deal with large contracts that their elderly parents signed shortly before passing away as well as state consumer complaints alleging maintenance delays and predatory sales strategies,” the letter stated. 
One woman said that a door-to-door salesman for Sunnova sold her father, who she said was in hospice care, a $60,000 solar system for his mobile home shortly before his death, The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/energy/biden-admin-gave-3-billion-loan-to-solar-company-accused-of-scamming-elderly/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last month. 
&#8220;My dad told [the salesman] at that time he was on hospice and dying. And basically, he wasn&#8217;t in his right mind,&#8221; said Mary Loller, adding that Sunnova placed a lien on her father’s property preventing his family from selling it after his death.
Another person, Texas resident Terry Blythe, told the Free Beacon that her 86-year-old father who had been diagnosed with dementia was convinced by a Sunnova salesman to buy a 25-year solar panel lease in 2020. The contract was worth $34,000, which Blythe said she was left to deal with after her father died. 
&#8220;It was truly ripping off old people It was the biggest ripoff I&#8217;ve ever seen,” she said. 
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As far back as 2019, the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/02/26/sunnova-texas-solar-puerto-rico-hurricane-maria/2946484002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> a report on Sunnova, which confirmed some of its customers’ complaints, including misleading them about the costs of solar panel financing and contracts. 
“Residents in other parts of the country have also reported problems with Sunnova systems, including deceptive sales practices,” the Republican lawmakers’ letter continues. “These allegations are particularly troubling, as LPO has stated this program will focus on disadvantaged communities.” 
President Joe Biden has been pushing the Democrats’ leftist green energy agenda seeking to address the “climate crisis” and has emphasized expanding solar energy. Earlier this year, the Biden administration launched a $7 billion “Solar for All” grant competition proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and created by the president’s Inflation Reduction Act. 
McMorris Rodgers and Barrasso are requesting the Energy Department to provide documents and any information regarding its treatment of the concerns raised by the letter. The Energy Department has until December 21 to provide the lawmakers with the information they&#8217;re seeking.

Joe Biden/Jennifer Granholm

Solar Energy Company Accused Of Scamming Elderly People Was Awarded $3 Billion By Biden Admin. GOP Leaders Are Now Seeking Answers.

Solar Power

Michigan state government agencies must move to 100% “zero-emission” vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040, per an executive order signed by Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> on Tuesday.
Whitmer’s order requires state agencies to shift the state government’s fleet of around <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/dtmb/Law-and-Policies/Legislative-Reports/FY2021/2021_Fleet_Plan.pdf?rev=f9a5c6589b5e492f8f92af8ea6eb3150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9,000 vehicles</a> to electric beginning with light-duty cars by 2033 and moving on to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The governor’s directive came just a week after she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-signs-one-of-the-nations-most-extreme-green-energy-mandates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> one of the most extreme green energy bills in the nation, requiring utility providers to transition to completely carbon-free energy generation by the end of the next decade.
“Michigan is on the cutting-edge of mobility and electrification,” Whitmer’s executive directive <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIEOG/2023/12/05/file_attachments/2706506/ED%202023-5%20%28signed%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “Our world-leading auto industry is making the switch to electric, and we continue to attract battery, semiconductor, and clean energy investments from other states and nations. We must usher the future of mobility and clean energy into Michigan by winning projects and leading by example in state government.”
“Getting this done will help drive demand of Michigan-made electric vehicles, lower gas and maintenance costs for the state since ZEVs cost far less to fuel and maintain and reduce air and noise pollution in our communities,” Whitmer added in a <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/blog/whitmer-signs-directive-transitioning-the-states-fleet-to-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2040/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
The executive order was short on details about the cost of transitioning the entire state government’s fleet of vehicles to electric. A 2021 <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/dtmb/Law-and-Policies/Legislative-Reports/FY2021/2021_Fleet_Plan.pdf?rev=f9a5c6589b5e492f8f92af8ea6eb3150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget stated that the Michigan government has 8,788 on-road vehicles, which include dozens of buses and semi-trucks. Among the state agencies included in Whitmer’s directive is the Michigan State Police, which uses hundreds of coupes and sedans and over 1,000 SUVs for law enforcement.
State agencies can request exemptions from the directive for certain vehicles, but must “offer alternative emission reduction options including hybrids,” according to Whitmer’s press release.
Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall slammed Whitmer&#8217;s EV directive, telling The Daily Wire that the Democrats&#8217; EV and green energy push is hurting the automotive industry and hard-working Michiganders.
“Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer’s green energy schemes are accelerating the decline of Michigan’s automotive manufacturing industry, and the governor’s decision to replace all of Michigan’s state fleet with electric vehicles is just the latest step on this destructive path,&#8221; Hall said. &#8220;Michigan families have determined that EVs are too expensive and unreliable for them, which is why these vehicles are just sitting on car lots around the state.&#8221;
Whitmer said the switch to EVs will help Michigan car manufacturers that are rapidly moving to EV production as the Biden administration pushes American car companies and consumers to get on board with its <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/17/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-private-and-public-sector-investments-for-affordable-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> to have “50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.” Of the nearly 9,000 vehicles operated by Michigan state government agencies, only three are electric, according to Whitmer’s communications director Bobby Leddy, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/12/05/gov-whitmer-directs-state-govt-vehicle-fleet-to-go-electric/71813588007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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The governor’s executive directive is on par with her push for Michigan car manufacturers to embrace EVs as the future of transportation. In February, Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/michigan-won-2500-jobs-3-billion-investment-from-ford-facility-in-marshall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans for an EV battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, saying it is “expected to create 2,500 good-paying jobs” while helping “support Ford’s goal of producing two million electric vehicles annually by 2026.”
That plan, however, came to a screeching halt in September when Ford <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2023/09/25/ford-motor-company-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-marshall-pausing/70963467007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paused</a> the construction of the Marshall battery plant. Now, Ford says it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2023/11/21/ford-marshall-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-reduce-plans-jobs/71664207007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scaling back</a> its commitment to the Marshall plant, cutting 800 jobs and over $1 billion.
Ford, one of Michigan’s “big three” car manufacturers, recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-gets-9-2-billion-loan-from-biden-admin-for-ev-battery-factories-biggest-check-since-2009-bailouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> a $9.2 billion loan from the Biden administration intended to help construct three electric vehicle battery plants — none of which are in Michigan — after the motor company projected the EV push would cost it $3 billion in 2023. That projection was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-loses-billions-on-electric-cars-embraces-hybrids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bumped up</a> to $4.5 billion in losses over EVs a few months later, meaning Ford lost around $32,000 for every EV it sold during the second quarter of 2023.
“Democrats’ artificially accelerated shift to EVs will eliminate Michigan jobs at existing factories,&#8221; Hall told The Daily Wire. &#8220;And their mandates for unreliable green energy will lead to higher electricity prices on manufacturers — imposing additional costs on Michigan’s automotive industry that will kill more Michigan jobs and move more manufacturing overseas.”

Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer Orders All State Government Vehicles To Be 100% Electric Days After Signing Extreme Green Energy Bill

Michigan

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