<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">European</a> households and businesses will need to significantly reduce <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> consumption in order to maintain reserves through the upcoming winter, according to the International Energy Agency.
The group’s <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/gas-market-report-q4-2022/cold-comfort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a>, written before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed natural gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline and prior to the Nord Stream system witnessing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unprecedented damage</a> last week, warned that “a complete shutdown of Russian pipeline flows to the European Union cannot be ruled out.” Ministers are contending with energy prices that have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as much as twentyfold</a> in some countries.
“As the summer ends in the northern hemisphere on new highs for natural gas prices and volatility and markets brace themselves for a winter of unprecedented uncertainty of supply due to Russia’s behaviour, security of energy supply has become a priority issue for consumers and policy makers across major consuming markets,” the International Energy Agency said.
Several nations, including France and Spain, have called for residents to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce power consumption</a> ahead of the winter months. The International Energy Agency found that a failure to reduce demand would bring power inventory to 18% of working capacity by March 2023, while a 9% or 13% reduction in power usage would lead to inventories of 38% and 45%, respectively.
“Implementing gas saving measures will be crucial to minimise storage withdrawals and keep inventories at an adequate level until the end of the heating season,” the group explained, particularly noting that changed household energy consumption would ideally account for over 40% of the 13% demand reduction scenario.
French President Emmanuel Macron accordingly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged citizens</a> last month to use air conditioning and heating a “bit less than usual” — such as by keeping indoor temperatures no more than 19 degrees Celsius, roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit, through the winter. The nation’s government is preparing energy rationing initiatives that officials could pursue “as a last resort.”
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-intends-to-flatten-the-curve-for-electricity-use" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that the European Union would propose a “mandatory target” for reducing electricity consumption among member states during peak hours. International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol previously exhorted leaders in Europe to <a href="https://www.iea.org/commentaries/coordinated-actions-across-europe-are-essential-to-prevent-a-major-gas-crunch-here-are-5-immediate-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopt several policies</a> to save natural gas — including auction platforms designed for demand reduction, an increase in coal and oil-fired power generation, and temperature controls for households.
“The first immediate step towards filling European gas storage to adequate levels before winter is to reduce Europe’s current gas consumption, and to put the saved gas into storage,” he argued. “This is a big ask, but it does not exaggerate the scale of what is needed — or what is possible if the right measures are taken. It is categorically not enough to just rely on gas from non-Russian sources — these supplies are simply not available in the volumes required to substitute for missing deliveries from Russia.”
Russian shipments accounted for 40% of the European natural gas supply last year — a rate that had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> to 9% as of last month. Germany, the continent’s largest economy, has seen dependence on Russian natural gas decrease from 55% to 35%.
The producer price index for industrial products in Germany has risen 45.8% year-over-year as of August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Prices/Producer-Price-Index-For-Industrial-Products/_node.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, which followed increases of 37.2% in July 2022 and 32.7% in June 2022. Several firms are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">halting production</a> in factories or laying off employees.

Austria, Salzkammergut, view of Hallstatt and Dachstein over lake Hallstaetter See at sunrise in winter

European Households Must Cut Power Usage This Winter, Energy Agency Says

Europe Must Cut Power Usage To Have Energy Left Over In The Spring

Energy

Europe

Germany

Oil and Gas

Ukraine-Russia War

The Nord Stream pipeline system is the center of Europe’s geopolitical tensions as Russia invades Ukraine — at least until a few days ago.
Europeans, already battling to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">secure enough power</a> for the winter thanks to its rapid transition toward green energy, were met on September 26 with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage">unprecedented damage</a> to the pipelines, which run natural gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. Officials in Sweden reported two leaks in Nord Stream 1 shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 was found, while Nord Stream AG, the energy company that runs the pipeline system, remains unable to “estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.”
Ministers across Europe quickly began pointing fingers as natural gas spewed into the Baltic Sea. Given the conflict that has characterized the pipeline system, through which Russia had stopped sending natural gas a few weeks earlier, one would have to be off their rockers to not call foul. The German government, for example, has already ruled out seismic activity as a cause for the disaster and presumes the system was intentionally destroyed.
Russia, for its part, denies any involvement. When asked about the possibility of sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “no option can be ruled out” at the moment. However, as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace noted in a recent <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/politika/88062">report</a>, Russia could benefit from the end of Nord Stream 1 by claiming a “force majeure” for breaching contracts to avoid delivering natural gas to Europe. 
Gazprom, the Russian energy conglomerate which owns a majority stake in Nord Stream AG, could also benefit from insurance claims. Others speculate that Russia destroyed its own pipelines to increase gas prices or even frame the United States.
While plenty of European leaders have blamed Russia, some have indeed noted the United States had the most to gain from the suddenly disabled pipelines. President Joe Biden <a href="https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1574685985115607040?s=20&amp;t=exDoFSWQyGXDG_Cpl8TgOQ">said</a> days before the invasion that he would “bring an end” to Nord Stream 2 if Russian troops entered Ukraine. After the pipelines were destroyed, Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-and-canadian-foreign-minister-melanie-joly-at-a-joint-press-availability/">called</a> the phenomenon a “tremendous opportunity” to end European reliance on Russian energy. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/economist-makes-waves-after-arguing-the-biden-admin-destroyed-the-nord-stream-pipeline">noted</a> by economist Jeffrey Sachs, the rhetoric from the White House is a “strange way to talk” if they were truly “worried about piracy on international infrastructure of vital significance.”
When asked to justify his assertion, Sachs claimed radar data indicated that American military helicopters typically based in Poland had been circling over the area of the destruction. Some have noted the United States and other NATO members had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-navy-nato-recently-tested-underwater-technology-near-location-nord-stream-pipelines-were-damaged">tested</a> underwater technology months before the pipelines were destroyed.
 Meanwhile, one report <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage">revealed</a> that the CIA had cautioned Germany about possible attacks on the pipelines weeks earlier.
Even though the pipelines were not pumping gas due to Western sanctions, protesters in Germany had been calling for the energy flow to resume as electricity prices increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">more than twentyfold</a>. Crippling the pipelines would likely eliminate the possibility of Germany lifting the sanctions in time to import energy for the winter — a compromise that would compel Ukraine to lose support from the largest economy in Europe.
Other Americans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tucker-carlson-fuels-suspicion-u-s-behind-nord-stream-sabotage">suspicious</a> of their own government’s motives included Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who warned of possible retaliation from the Russian government. “If we actually blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, why wouldn’t Russia sever undersea internet cables?” Carlson wondered, noting that such a move would overthrow the worldwide banking system. “Have the people behind this… considered the effects? Maybe they have. Maybe that was the point.”

3D render of the construction of the gas pipe Nord Stream 2. The concept of sanctions and economic war, an anvil falling on a gas pipe. 3D rendering

Did The United States Sabotage The Nord Stream Pipelines?

Nord Stream Pipeline

Readers Pass

Russia

The cost of charging an electric vehicle in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/united-kingdom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britain</a> is soaring toward the cost of filling a car with <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gasoline</a> amid the nation’s <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> crisis.
According to <a href="https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/electric-vehicles-news/public-rapid-ev-charging-costs-rise-42-in-four-months/">data</a> released on Monday by RAC, the price of charging an electric car on a pay-as-you-go basis at public charging stations has increased by 42% since May. While the cost of charging an electric vehicle battery with the quickest charging option to 80% capacity was £17.51, or $18.72, in September 2021, the price one year later is £32.74.
Electric vehicle owners are now paying 18 pence, or 19 cents, per mile for electricity — slightly lower than 19 pence per mile for a car powered by gasoline.
Although most residents of the United Kingdom who drive electric cars typically charge their vehicles at home with an average cost per mile of 9 pence, not every driver has the same option. “The huge price gap between home and public charging highlights the extent to which drivers who depend on the charging network, including those who don’t have driveways and can’t charge at home, pay a hefty premium to run electric cars,” according to RAC.
The average <a href="https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/United-Kingdom/gasoline_prices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost</a> of gasoline in the United Kingdom is presently £1.64 per liter, or $6.20 per gallon. After surpassing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June, gas prices in the United States have subsided to $3.77 per gallon as of Wednesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">data</a> from AAA.
“For those that have already made the switch to an electric car or are thinking of doing so, it remains the case that charging away from home costs less than refuelling a petrol or diesel car, but these figures show that the gap is narrowing as a result of the enormous increases in the cost of electricity,” RAC spokesman Simon Williams explained. “These figures very clearly show that it’s drivers who use public rapid and ultra-rapid chargers the most who are being hit the hardest.”
As Europe faces soaring energy prices, new British Prime Minister Liz Truss — who has established the goal of rendering the United Kingdom a net exporter of energy by 2040 — announced a new round of oil and gas leases for the North Sea and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/strengthening-our-energy-resilience-britain-ends-fracking-ban-will-become-net-exporter-by-2040">lifted a moratorium</a> on shale gas production. The ban had been established three years ago amid concerns over earthquakes.
“We are cutting off the toxic power and pipelines from authoritarian regimes and strengthening our energy resilience,” Truss said during a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-minister-liz-trusss-speech-to-the-un-general-assembly-21-september-2022">speech</a> to the United Nations General Assembly. “We will ensure we cannot be coerced or harmed by the reckless actions of rogue actors abroad. We will transition to a future based on renewable and nuclear energy while ensuring that the gas used during that transition is from reliable sources including our own North Sea production.”
Meanwhile, member states of the European Union — which Britain exited in early 2020 — have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits">pushed renewable power</a> amid the energy crisis in accordance with the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050.
The rising cost of energy in Europe occurs as the Biden administration incentivizes the adoption of renewable power sources, as well as the purchase of electric cars. The Inflation Reduction Act recently greenlit electric vehicle tax credits of $7,500 for new cars and $4,000 for used cars, according to a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/16/fact-sheet-how-the-inflation-reduction-act-builds-a-better-future-for-young-americans/">fact sheet</a> from the White House.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/buttigieg-interested-in-california-ban-on-new-gas-cars-as-he-weighs-a-national-policy">nodded</a> to a policy from the California Air Resources Board that will require 35% of new vehicles to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-expected-to-ban-sale-of-new-gas-cars">produce zero emissions</a> by 2026 — a benchmark that will progressively rise to 100% by 2035. The policy was unveiled days before grid officials in California requested that residents decrease <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-asks-residents-to-avoid-charging-electric-vehicles-due-to-blackout-risk-days-after-unveiling-new-gas-car-ban">energy usage</a> during peak demand, such as by refraining from charging their electric vehicles, in the interest of averting power failure amid a heatwave.

Austria Emerges As Hub For Hydrogen Technology

Charging An Electric Vehicle In Britain Is Now Nearly As Expensive As Filling A Tank Of Gas

The Cost Of Charging An Electric Car In Britain Is Soaring

electric vehicles

Gas Prices

United Kingdom

Fox News host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tucker-carlson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tucker Carlson</a> joined a suspicious internet chorus Tuesday in pointing the finger at the U.S. for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nord-stream-pipelines-see-unprecedented-damage-after-cia-warned-german-government-of-sabotage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines</a> as a deep-sea, international mystery widened.
The two Russian-owned pipelines were damaged on the floor of the Baltic Sea Monday, and have been spewing natural gas up to the surface since. The pipelines were built to send natural gas from Russia to Europe and contained gas but were not operational. European experts agree that the damage was almost certainly intentionally inflicted and not due to seismic activity.
“This was an act of industrial terrorism,” the Fox News Channel star said Tuesday night, before pointing the finger at the Biden administration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tucker Carlson Discusses Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage, Almost Certainly a U.S. Covert Action Against Russia<a href="https://t.co/U5iOFF4O2j">https://t.co/U5iOFF4O2j</a>
&mdash; TheLastRefuge (@TheLastRefuge2) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLastRefuge2/status/1574960176939106304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Even though the pipelines had not been pumping due to sanctions imposed by the West after Russia invaded Ukraine, German protesters had been calling for the energy flow to resume. Disabling the pipelines would likely remove the possibility of Germany lifting the sanctions in time to import energy for the winter.
Russia shut off the 760-mile Nord Stream 1 pipeline during the war, while Germany blocked the parallel Nord Stream 2 from going online just before the invasion. Germany relied upon Russian natural gas for more than half of its gas imports before the invasion, and its economy has been severely crippled since the cutoff.
Some suspect Russia may have been behind the destruction of its own pipeline, possibly to raise gas prices, exert pressure on Ukraine’s western allies, or even to frame the U.S.
&#8220;Gas leak from NS-1 [Nord Stream 1] is nothing more than a terrorist attack planned by Russia and an act of aggression towards the EU. Russia wants to destabilize the economic situation in Europe and cause pre-winter panic,&#8221; Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak tweeted Tuesday.
German government spokesman Roderich Kiesewetter tweeted Tuesday night that Moscow was likely behind the undersea caper.
&#8220;It is likely that Russia is trying in this way, on the one hand, to stir up uncertainty among the European population and, on the other hand, to once again point out at the state level the possibility of an attack on critical infrastructure,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Such an act of sabotage would also fit with Russia&#8217;s state-terrorism and hybrid approach.&#8221;
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that sabotaging the Nord Stream pipelines served &#8220;no one&#8217;s interest.&#8221; The White House National Security Council said the U.S. would not &#8220;speculate on the cause.&#8221;
Fueling suspicion of U.S. involvement is a <a href="https://twitter.com/Partisangirl/status/1574685985115607040?s=20&amp;t=exDoFSWQyGXDG_Cpl8TgOQ">resurfaced video clip</a> of a cryptic threat President Joe Biden made on February 7, as it became clear that Russia was preparing to invade Ukraine.
&#8220;If Russia invades, that means tanks or troops crossing the border of Ukraine again, there will no longer be a Nord Stream 2,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;We will bring an end to it.&#8221;
When a reporter asked how that would happen given that the pipeline was a German project, a resolute Biden replied, &#8220;I promise you: We will be able to do it.&#8221;
The statement from Biden came a week after Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland made a similar vow.
&#8220;If Russia invades Ukraine, one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,” Nuland said on January 27.
On Tuesday, Polish member of European Parliament Radoslaw Sikorski seemed to blame – or credit – the U.S. for the apparent attack.
“Thank you, USA,” he tweeted, along with a picture that showed methane bubbling up from the ruptured pipelines to the Baltic Sea surface. Polish officials later rebuked Sikorsi for the “irresponsible” statement.
Carlson warned that destruction of Russian infrastructure by the U.S. would be a dangerous escalation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has pitted Moscow against the West.
“If we actually blew up the Nord Stream pipelines, why wouldn’t Russia sever undersea internet cables?” Carlson wondered, noting that such a move could wreck the western banking system. “Have the people behind this, the geniuses like Toria Nuland, considered the effects? Maybe they have. Maybe that was the point.”

Fox News Host Tucker Carlson Appears At National Review Ideas Summit

Tucker Carlson Fuels Suspicion U.S. Behind Nord Stream Sabotage

Tucker Carlson Fuels To Suspicion U.S. Behind Nord Stream Sabotage

Biden Administration

Tucker Carlson

Vladimir Putin

Moderate Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/west-virginia">West Virginia</a> Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin">Joe Manchin</a> won&#8217;t be getting his side deal on permitting reform done after all.
Manchin struck a deal with Democratic Leadership to include an overhaul of the U.S. energy permitting system in a continuing budget resolution — to avoid a looming government shutdown — in exchange for his vote on the &#8220;Inflation Reduction Act,&#8221; the Democrats&#8217; $740 billion tax and spending plan. But Manchin&#8217;s deal was on thin ice from the start due to bipartisan opposition. Manchin announced Tuesday afternoon that he had asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to take his reforms out of the funding bill.
&#8220;It is unfortunate that members of the United States Senate are allowing politics to put the energy security of our nation at risk,&#8221; Manchin said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1574865778746204177?s=20&amp;t=LVIKc6sAq4Hc2kkE1V-dnw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Twitter Tuesday. &#8220;The last several months, we have seen firsthand the destruction that is possible as Vladimir Putin continues to weaponize energy. A failed vote on something as critical as comprehensive permitting reform only serves to embolden leaders like Putin who wish to see America fail.&#8221;
&#8220;For that reason and my firmly held belief that we should never come to the brink of a government shutdown over politics, I have asked Majority Leader Schumer to remove the permitting language from the Continuing Resolution we will vote on this evening,&#8221; Manchin continued.
While his bill will not be included in the continuing resolution to fund the government through December 16, Manchin expressed optimism that the bill could still pass later. &#8220;Over the last several weeks there has been broad consensus on the urgent need to address our nation’s flawed permitting system,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I stand ready to work with my colleagues to move forward on this critical legislation to meet the challenges of delivering affordable reliable energy Americans desperately need.&#8221;
&#8220;We should never depend on other countries to supply the energy we need when we can produce it here at home,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Accelerating the construction of energy infrastructure is critical to delivering that energy to the American people and our allies around the world. Inaction is not a strategy for energy independence and security.&#8221;
In a floor speech shortly before the bill was brought up, Schumer put the blame on Republicans for scuttling the reform package. “Senate Republicans have made clear they will block legislation to fund the government if it includes bipartisan permitting reform, because they’ve chosen to obstruct instead of work in a bipartisan way to achieve something they’ve long claimed they want to do,” Schumer said, via <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/3663763-manchin-asks-schumer-to-cut-permitting-from-spending-bill/">The Hill</a>.
“Because American families should not be subjected to a Republican-manufactured government shutdown, Sen. Manchin has requested, and I have agreed, to move forward and pass the recently filed continuing resolution legislation without the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022,&#8221; he said.
Despite Schumer&#8217;s intentional scapegoating of Republicans, opposition to permitting reforms was bipartisan. Republicans expressed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manchins-permitting-reform-side-deal-collapsing-as-republicans-blast-bill-and-propose-their-own" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skepticism</a> about the bill earlier this month, wary that Manchin might have to make concessions to appease progressive Democrats. Instead, Republicans proposed their own alternative legislation that aligned with their priorites.
But at the same time, more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/manchins-inflation-reduction-act-side-deal-beginning-to-fall-apart-dozens-of-democrats-signal-opposition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">70 House Democrats</a> wrote a letter to Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denouncing Manchin&#8217;s proposal and demanding it be excluded from the funding bill. Finally last week, a contingent of progressive Democrats in the <a href="https://www.politico.com/minutes/congress/09-21-2022/progs-look-for-separation/">Senate</a> asked Schumer not to include the permitting reforms in the funding bill.

00685CF7-2665-4A9A-B15F-0D80DCD5FDAC_1_201_a

No Deal: Manchin’s Permitting Reform Side Deal Cut Out Of Government Funding Bill At The Last Minute

No Deal: Manchin's Permitting Reform Side Deal Cut Out Of Government Funding Bill At The Last Minute

Budget

Chuck Schumer

Joe Manchin

Senate Democrats

Treasury Secretary <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/janet-yellen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Janet Yellen</a> lauded the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> on Tuesday for producing $430 billion in spending to modernize the American <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> system.
The legislation, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-signs-740-billion-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> by President Joe Biden last month, bankrolled various <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewable</a> power subsidies and tax credits. During a <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0976" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speech</a> delivered at Cypress Creek Renewables, a solar power producer in North Carolina, Yellen said that the law will “accelerate the transition to our green energy future and lower energy costs for American households and businesses.”
“For decades, the world has been too slow to act. But strong action by the federal government is finally here,” she remarked. “While there is much more to do, I believe we now have a clear and robust plan forward. I am confident about the direction of the sustainable future that we are building together.”
Among other measures, the Inflation Reduction Act greenlit electric vehicle tax credits of $7,500 for new cars and $4,000 for used cars, as well as 30% tax credits for home solar energy systems, according to a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/16/fact-sheet-how-the-inflation-reduction-act-builds-a-better-future-for-young-americans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the White House. Meanwhile, Yellen said that business tax credits will further “push down the costs of clean energy production.”
“Government must provide the basic foundations and long-term certainty that businesses need to invest at scale and drive the transition toward a clean energy future,” she contended. “In large part due to concerted government investment, costs for key renewable energy technologies have already seen declines upwards of 75% over the past decade.”
Although the costs of renewable energy have been decreasing, nonrenewable fuels are often the most inexpensive source of electricity, according to an <a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/projected-costs-of-generating-electricity-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the International Energy Agency. While coal and natural gas have median costs of $88 per megawatt-hour and $71 per megawatt-hour, respectively, commercial solar power and geothermal energy cost $94 per megawatt-hour and $99 per megawatt-hour, respectively.
“Over the past two years in particular, we’ve seen the direct consequences of our continued dependence on fossil fuels. Not only do we continue to contribute and subject ourselves to a rapidly warming climate,” Yellen continued, “but we expose ourselves to the type of energy market volatility we’ve experienced in the wake of Russia’s brutal war on Ukraine. No country controls the wind and the sun. And countries that can harness those sources of energy will make their economies more resilient and secure.”
Rapid increases in energy prices have caused much of the inflation observed over the past two years. However, Biden has advanced renewable energy policies while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-severely-cuts-back-on-oil-and-gas-leases" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leasing</a> the lowest amount of federal land for oil drilling since the conclusion of World War II and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keystone-pipeline-dead-killed-by-biden-thousands-of-jobs-lost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nixing</a> expansions to the Keystone XL pipeline project. Energy prices increased nearly 24% between August 2021 and August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Ahead of upcoming nationwide midterm elections, the economy and inflation are key issues among voters, with 84% considering the former to be a top factor influencing their ballot. The Republican Party leads the Democratic Party by a 16% margin and a 19% margin with respect to trust on handling the economy and inflation, respectively, according to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-midterm-poll-spells-bad-news-for-democrats-on-the-economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from ABC News and The Washington Post.
The national average price of gasoline was $2.38 per gallon when Biden assumed office and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-are-1-50-higher-since-biden-took-office-cnn-business-america-got-a-raise" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> to $3.53 per gallon by the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After surpassing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$5.00 per gallon</a> in early June, prices have subsided to $3.75 per gallon as of Tuesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from AAA.

Treasury Secretary Yellen Speaks At The Atlantic Festival In Washington, DC

‘No Country Controls The Wind And The Sun’: Janet Yellen Touts Hundreds Of Billions In Climate Spending

Yellen Explains Why Climate Investments Under The Inflation Reduction Act Are Necessary

Economy

Inflation Reduction Act

Janet Yellen

Three lines in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nord-stream-pipeline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nord Stream</a> natural <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gas</a> pipeline system saw “unprecedented” damage on Monday weeks after the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Intelligence Agency</a> warned <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> of possible attacks.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed natural gas flow through Nord Stream 1 earlier this month, citing mechanical issues as energy prices soared as much as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">twentyfold</a> in some European Union member states. The Swedish Maritime Authority reported two leaks in Nord Stream 1 on Monday shortly after a leak on the nearby Nord Stream 2 was found, according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nord-stream-operator-says-three-offshore-gas-pipelines-damaged-one-day-2022-09-27/">report</a> from Reuters. Operators are unsure when the pipeline, which started carrying natural gas from Russia to Germany in 2011, will be repaired.
&#8220;The destruction that occurred on the same day simultaneously on three strings of the offshore gas pipelines of the Nord Stream system is unprecedented,” Nord Stream AG said in a statement. “It is not yet possible to estimate the timing of the restoration of the gas transport infrastructure.”
Denmark limited shipping within a radius of five nautical miles after the damage was discovered. Before Russia nixed the flow of natural gas one month ago, Nord Stream 1 had only been operating at 20% capacity, which Moscow pinned on faulty equipment.
As natural gas poured into the Baltic Sea and the possibility of an explosion mounted, according to a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/27/nord-stream-1-2-pipelines-leak-baltic-sabotage-fears">report</a> from The Guardian, some European leaders began blaming Russia.
“Today we faced an act of sabotage,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said. “We don’t know all the details of what happened but we see clearly that it’s an act of sabotage, related to the next step of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.”
When asked about the possibility of sabotage, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters “no option can be ruled out” at the moment.
&#8220;This is a very concerning news. Indeed, we are talking about some damage of an unclear nature to the pipeline in Denmark&#8217;s economic zone,&#8221; Peskov said. &#8220;This is an issue related to the energy security of the entire continent.&#8221;
A <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/cia-warned-berlin-about-possible-attacks-gas-pipelines-summer-spiegel-2022-09-27/">report</a> from German news outlet Spiegel said that the CIA had cautioned Germany about possible attacks on Baltic Sea gas pipelines weeks ago. Berlin is presently assuming it was a targeted attack on the Nord Stream system, unnamed sources said.
President Joe Biden had initially <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-sanctions-russian-owned-company-behind-nord-stream-2-pipeline">waived</a> sanctions against the Russian-owned company behind Nord Stream 2, although he reimposed sanctions shortly before the Ukraine invasion began.
“These steps are another piece of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine,” the commander-in-chief remarked in a statement. “As I have made clear, we will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.”
Germany, the continent’s largest economy, relied upon Russian natural gas for 55% of its imports before the beginning of the conflict. The producer price index for industrial products in Germany has risen 45.8% year-over-year as of August 2022, according to <a href="https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Economy/Prices/Producer-Price-Index-For-Industrial-Products/_node.html">data</a> from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, which followed increases of 37.2% in July 2022 and 32.7% in June 2022.
Several manufacturers have therefore <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar">paused operations</a> in response to high energy prices and a likely drop in consumer demand. Industrial production in the eurozone has fallen 2.3%, according to <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/2995521/14698159/4-14092022-AP-EN.pdf/653e3e30-294b-4af7-4db4-8bab2cadc782?t=1663065884252">data</a> from the European Union.

renewable energy, tubes and pipes for oil and gas pipeline

Nord Stream Pipelines See ‘Unprecedented’ Damage After CIA Warned German Government Of Sabotage

Nord Stream Pipeline See Massive Damage

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a> officials have considered trying to get World Bank President David Malpass fired for not pursuing <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a> policies with sufficient zeal, according to a Friday <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/09/23/world-bank-malpass-climate-biden">report</a> from Axios.
Malpass, who formerly served as under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs under former President Donald Trump, was <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/world-banks-malpass-faces-calls-resign-after-climate-change-doubts-2022-09-21/">asked</a> on Tuesday whether he affirms that the &#8220;manmade burning of fossil fuels is rapidly and dangerously warming the planet.&#8221; Malpass reportedly said: &#8220;I don&#8217;t even know. I&#8217;m not a scientist.&#8221;
People familiar with the matter told Axios that the Biden administration has long viewed Malpass with suspicion and confirmed that officials have considered replacing him — although the process for triggering a leadership change at the international financial institution would likely be complicated.
The United States is the largest shareholder in the World Bank, which provides loans and grants to the governments of developing nations for capital projects, and the president typically nominates the organization’s leader. Malpass, who was nominated by Trump in 2019, is slated to complete his five-year term in 2024.
Biden could nominate former Vice President Al Gore or Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. A spokesperson for Gore told Axios that he “strongly believes that there needs to be new leadership at the World Bank, but has no intention of pursuing the role himself and would not accept it if offered.&#8221;
Malpass reacted to the notion that he is a climate change “denier” — a charge levied by Gore and other officials — by rejecting the label outright. “I don’t know the political motivations behind that,” he said during an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/22/world/world-bank-david-malpass-climate-change-intl-hnk/index.html">interview</a> with CNN. “It’s clear that greenhouse gas emissions are coming from manmade sources, including fossil fuels, methane, agricultural uses and industrial uses. And so we’re working hard to change that.”
Biden has pushed green energy policies while <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-severely-cuts-back-on-oil-and-gas-leases">leasing less federal land</a> for oil drilling than any of his predecessors since the end of World War II. At the beginning of his tenure, Biden also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/keystone-pipeline-dead-killed-by-biden-thousands-of-jobs-lost">nixed expansions</a> to the Keystone XL pipeline project over environmental concerns. Last month, he signed the $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which includes $369 billion in programs meant to accelerate a transition to renewable energy.
A <a href="https://www.schumer.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/just-back-from-dc-schumer-outlines-historic-passage-of-inflation-reduction-act-and-its-impact-on-upstate-new-york-from-reducing-rx-costs-for-over-37m-ny-ers-lowering-utility-bills-closing-tax-loopholes-for-big-corps-fighting-climate-crisis-creating-new-jobs-rebuilding-american-manufacturing_more--">fact sheet</a> from the office of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed that the law will create 9 million jobs across the United States while bringing “manufacturing of clean technology like solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and much more back to America.” Among other items, the law funds $160 billion in clean electricity tax credits, $43 billion in production tax credits, and $40 billion in tax credits to make buildings more energy efficient.
Top administration officials, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/energy-secretary-lays-out-the-only-way-to-avoid-high-gas-prices-and-its-not-producing-more-oil">argued</a> that “the only way” out of “boom-and-bust cycles” in energy prices is “deploying clean energy.”
“The real truth is that as long as our nation remains overly reliant on oil and fossil fuels, we will feel these price shocks again,” Granholm said at a June press briefing. “This is not going to be the last time. The next time there’s a war, the next time there’s a pandemic or another hurricane, these extreme weather events we are experiencing — they will impact the access that we have to fossil fuels.”

Al Gore

Biden May Try To Fire World Bank President For Not Pushing Climate Policy Enough, Possible Replacement Chimes In: Report

Biden May Try To Oust World Bank President For Insufficient Climate Zeal

Climate Change

John Kerry

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> is taking action to make it the first state in the country to get rid of natural gas water heaters and furnaces in houses.
A new proposal was <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-22/california-moves-to-ban-natural-gas-furnaces-and-heaters-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> in a unanimous vote on Thursday by the California Air Resources Board. The state will prohibit the sale of new natural gas space heaters, as well as water heating equipment, by 2030, according to the new plan. The measure is part of efforts that California is moving toward in order to reduce emissions and meet federal air-quality baselines.
Now, California agencies must create a regulation for getting rid of the gas-fueled equipment that will be ultimately voted on in 2025. The measure does not incorporate gas stoves, even though around 50 municipalities around the state have reportedly created rules that either prohibit or frown upon using gas stoves in new construction.
&#8220;We need to take every action we can to deliver on our commitments to protect public health from the adverse impacts of air pollution, and this strategy identifies how we can do just that,&#8221; CARB Chair Liane Randolph <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/california-adopts-comprehensive-strategy-meet-federal-ozone-standard-over-next-15-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/energy/3658284-california-first-state-to-ban-natural-gas-heaters-and-furnaces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;While this strategy will clean the air for all Californians, it will also lead to reduced emissions in the many low-income and disadvantaged communities that experience greater levels of persistent air pollution. But to truly meet the ozone standard, California needs more federal action to clean up harmful diesel pollution from primarily federally controlled sources, from locomotives and ocean-going vessels to aircraft, which are all concentrated in communities that continue to bear the brunt of poor air quality. We simply cannot provide clean air to Californians without the federal government doing its part,” Randolph added.
Some believe this will create an outline for other states to follow.
“We’re really hopeful that this is the beginning of a domino effect and other states will follow California’s lead,” Leah Louis-Prescott, a senior associate at RMI, said, per Bloomberg.
As The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/California-will-ban-the-sale-of-natural-gas-17460877.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> out, regulators are pointing to heat pump technology as a main component of getting rid of the natural gas heaters. The method is used across Europe, but is not as widespread in the United States. The pumps work entirely off of electricity and essentially shift heat around.
However, the electric grid has been a problem in the state over the past several years. During a recent heat wave, residents were repeatedly asked to save power so as to avoid rolling blackouts across the state. The Golden State is also trying to entirely get rid of carbon emissions in its power grid by 2045. The quick shift to green energy has resulted in a less reliable electric grid in California.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-needed-natural-gas-during-heat-wave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the electric grid in the state needed natural gas for nearly half of its electricity production to reach peak demand levels during the heat wave.

3C09FF02-8CF7-4B59-8673-06F4BAA08CA0_1_201_a

California Takes Steps To Ban Sale Of New Natural Gas Furnaces, Heaters

California Air Resources Board Takes Steps To Ban Sale Of New Natural Gas Furnaces, Heaters

California

Gavin Newsom

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/france" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French</a> President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/emmanuel-macron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmanuel Macron</a> called on Thursday for a “massive” increase in renewable <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy</a> development.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> stopped <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline earlier this month in an apparent retaliation against Western Europe for supporting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine</a>. Macron asserted that turmoil from rising power prices is evidence that his nation ought to become energy independent, particularly through renewable sources.
“The war changed everything &#8230; it disrupted the European model, because many countries were depending on Russian gas for production,” Macron explained during a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-france-macron-nuclear-power-066a84a535fc94d2eee8e2f229dfbda5">speech</a> in the port city of Saint-Nazaire. “And clearly, for the first time, energy has become a weapon of war.”
Saint-Nazaire is the home to France’s only offshore wind farm. Among other measures, Macron aims to construct 50 more offshore wind facilities, as well as to multiply solar power generation tenfold. The proposal will also attempt to bring all of the nation’s 56 nuclear reactors — half of which are currently shut down for maintenance or repairs — back online before winter. France generated 69% of its electricity from nuclear power last year, according to <a href="https://www.nei.org/resources/statistics/top-15-nuclear-generating-countries">data</a> from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
“We need a massive acceleration,” Macron continued. “I want us to go at least twice as fast for renewable energy projects… our neighbors often managed to do more, better and, above all, faster.”
The proposal comes weeks after Macron called for a 10% <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">voluntary reduction</a> in the nation’s energy usage, with mandatory consumption limits on the table as a “last resort.” He encouraged residents to use air conditioning and heating a “bit less than usual” to avoid power outages — such as by keeping indoor temperatures no more than 19 degrees Celsius, roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit, through the winter.
Ministers in the European Union are contending with energy prices that have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">as much as twentyfold</a> in some member states. In accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Climate Agreement, nations in the bloc abide by the <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">official goal</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050.
During a <a href="https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/united-nations/news-and-events/united-nations-general-assembly/unga-s-72nd-session/article/speech-by-m-emmanuel-macron-president-of-the-republic-summit-on-the-global-pact">speech</a> at the United Nations General Assembly this week, Macron asked diplomats to jointly pursue a “collective framework” for environmental treaties called the Global Pact for the Environment. “We must follow our consciences and radically overhaul the paradigms of our shared lives on this planet, and to this end we must forge ideas, notions and rules enabling us to lay the foundations of this new commitment,” Macron said.
As power prices continue to rise, however, manufacturers across Europe have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-companies-pause-production-as-energy-prices-soar">paused operations</a> through the winter. French glass manufacturer Duralex, for instance, announced that it would close down furnaces beginning in November for at least four months.
Unlike leaders in the European Union, incoming British Prime Minister Liz Truss <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/strengthening-our-energy-resilience-britain-ends-fracking-ban-will-become-net-exporter-by-2040">responded</a> to high energy prices by pushing for increased oil and gas production, as well as nuclear power and other green sources. The British government announced a new round of oil and gas leases on Thursday for the North Sea and ended its moratorium on shale gas production — including the practice of fracking, by which pressurized liquid is injected into underground rocks to force open fissures and extract fuels. The prohibition was initially established in 2019 amid concerns over earthquakes.

World Leaders Gather At 77th United Nations General Assembly

French President Unveils Massive Green Power Development Proposal As Energy Crisis Continues

French President Calls For More Green Energy, Nuclear Power Production

Emmanuel Macron

France

During <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California’s</a> recent heat wave, the state intensely relied on natural gas to keep the lights on despite the state’s quick promotion of renewable energy sources.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the state’s electric grid <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-relied-heavily-natural-gas-during-sept-heat-wave-eia-2022-09-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counted</a> on natural gas for nearly half of its electricity production to reach peak demand levels.
During the week of September 4, for short periods of time, natural gas comprised up to 60% of the fuel mix of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), contrasted with 32% for the year before the week of intense demand, the EIA said, per Reuters.
CAISO ordinarily <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=53939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uses</a> hydroelectric power, electricity imports, solar, wind, and natural gas to create the levels required to reach peak periods of need, per the EIA. The group noted that units of natural gas are typically the last source used in the state because they can be utilized after the sun goes down when people still need to turn their air conditioning on in their homes. It added that when there are record high levels of need, the natural gas units, which it says are not as capable and cost more money, are necessary.
CAISO information revealed that during the peak time periods between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., the amount of natural gas in the energy mix went up to over half during the September 4 week, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-relied-heavily-natural-gas-during-sept-heat-wave-eia-2022-09-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. The evening hours typically see a higher need for energy as solar power is not as available and more cooling efforts are needed.
The amount of renewable energy, like solar, wind, and nuclear went down to 24% for the week, compared to 40% for the year up to that time period.
CAISO utilized natural gas for up to 60% and never below 30% of the mix of power to reach demand needs during certain times of the week.
Leading up to the week of high temperatures, the mix had 40% from solar, nuclear, batteries, wind, and others. It involved 32% from natural gas, 20% from imports, and 7% from hydroelectric, according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=53939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EIA</a>.
Residents received several Flex Alerts, telling them to save power during certain periods of time, and the state avoided issuing rolling blackouts as it needed to do in August of 2020.
The state’s quick shift to renewable sources of energy has put an increased amount of strain on the electric grid, making it less and less reliable during periods of high temperatures, but Democratic Governor of California <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-slams-critics-of-california-energy-says-they-wished-blackouts-had-happened" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> the success of the state’s green energy initiatives.
During the week of the heat wave, Newsom <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-california-sacramento-gavin-newsom-power-outages-0c520b790860fac7326cfdcdb4d3a785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters that the “pretty extreme” situation made the state use additional natural gas a fallback resource.
“We all want to accelerate the elimination of the gas, but it’s a sober reminder of reality,” he said.

3B3756EF-B53B-4107-8CDC-BA23705C54A7_1_201_a

California Needed Natural Gas During Heat Wave

Energy Information Administration Says California Needed Natural Gas During Heat Wave

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/switzerland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swiss</a> energy and transportation minister Simonetta Sommaruga advised that residents “shower together” in the interest of reducing <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy?_gl=1*zjkwpj*_ga*OTAwNTI1NTYwLjE2MTM5NzIxMzI.*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTY2Mzc4MjM5NS4xMjY2LjEuMTY2Mzc4Mzg5Mi41OC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noopener">power</a> consumption.
<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> severed <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">natural gas</a> flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline earlier this month in apparent retaliation against Western Europe for supporting <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war">Ukraine</a>. As Sommaruga pushes fellow citizens to reduce energy consumption by 15% to conserve limited power supplies, she told readers of the Swiss newspaper 20 Minuten that they could “turn off the computer when you don’t need it, or turn off lights, or shower together,” according to a <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/save-energy-by-showering-together-swiss-told-mr9dq3n6h">report</a> from The Times.
After mockery on social media, Sommaruga amended her remarks — clarifying that the advice was for younger people and acknowledging that “after a certain age, showering together is no longer suitable for everyone.”
Swiss officials recently provoked ire for a policy that could allow the sanctioning of residents who do not follow emergency energy guidelines. According to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/switzerland-may-jail-people-who-turn-heat-above-66-degrees-this-winter">report</a> from Swiss news outlet Blick, the nation’s Federal Law on National Economic Supply permits authorities to fine and imprison residents who consume too much natural gas if rationing becomes necessary.
Among other measures, those who fail to comply with setting their thermostats above 19 degrees Celsius, roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit, during the winter could receive sanctions between 30 and 3,000 Swiss francs, the equivalent of $31 and $3,090. Those found intentionally violating the statute would receive up to three years in prison, and those found with negligent violations could be forced to pay 180 days’ worth of fines.
Meanwhile, residents would be unable to heat swimming pools, saunas, radiant heaters, or warm air tents under the orders, while hot water would not be allowed to reach temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, or 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ministers in the European Union — of which Switzerland is not a part — are likewise contending with energy prices that have increased <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-climate-bureaucrats-are-dooming-the-continent-to-a-very-dark-winter">as much as twentyfold</a> in some member states. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-union-social-market-economy-might-redistribute-fossil-fuel-profits">asserted</a> that Russia is responsible for the economic troubles and called for redistributing profits from fossil fuel companies.
“We are proposing a cap on the revenues of companies that produce electricity at a low cost. These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of,” von der Leyen said in her most recent state of the union address. “In our social market economy, profits are good. But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers. In these times, profits must be shared and channeled to those who need it the most.”
The European Union has adopted the official <a href="https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/climate-strategies-targets/2050-long-term-strategy_en">policy</a> of becoming “a climate-neutral society” by 2050 in accordance with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. Other member states countries have joined Switzerland in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/french-president-calls-for-10-cut-in-energy-use-will-ration-power-as-a-last-resort">regulating or discouraging</a> energy usage. Officials in Spain have mandated that thermostat levels remain no lower than 27 degrees Celsius, roughly 80 degrees Fahrenheit, during the summer months, while the French government asked for a 10% voluntary reduction in the nation’s energy consumption.
Several large European manufacturers are shuttering their factories as energy prices climb. The producer price index for industrial products in Germany, the continent’s largest economy, has risen 45.8% year-over-year as of August 2022, according to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany.

A man puts his arm under the shower water.

Official In Switzerland Suggests That Residents ‘Shower Together’ To Conserve Energy

Swiss Energy Minister Advises That Residents ‘Shower Together’ To Save Power

Switzerland

Menu