Conservative Conference: Biden’s Energy Policy Dangerous and Economically Damaging

The first day of the American Conservative Coalition Conference (CPAC), Feb. 26.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), a panel of former and current politicians argued that despite the abundance of fossil fuels, the Biden administration’s focus on alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar, will increase U.S. energy dependence and harm the economy.

Former Colorado Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez said Saturday (Feb. 27) that there are a growing number of ways to get fossil fuels in a safer, cleaner and smarter way. He called the Biden Administration‘s energy policy “absolutely insane in an era when we still have an abundance of energy.”

It’s what keeps the economy going,” he said at a panel titled “Flip the Switch: Biden ‘s Energy Policy Goes Dark. ” “If you unplug, you not only jeopardize the energy supply, you jeopardize national security.”

On the same panel, Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly said the abundance of energy would not only make the United States energy independent, but also make it “the world’s largest energy exporter. He noted that this would help the United States build stronger global relationships.

Kelly noted that “62 percent of the electricity comes from old energy ways.”

He asked, “What are you going to replace it with you? What do you plan to take out?” “I just think that we know what works and what we rely on.”

In 2019, the United States became energy independent for the first Time since 1957, according to the Institute for Energy Research (IER). For the first time in 62 years, the U.S. produced more energy that year than the U.S. consumed. Total U.S. energy production increased by 5.7 percent in 2019 , while energy demand fell by 0.9 percent, the institute said.

Panel spokeswoman Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Wyoming Republican, said half of her state is federal land, as are many other states in the country. She said Biden’s 60-day moratorium on new oil or gas permits and land leases on federal lands will put those states in a difficult position after he signs a presidential order.

Beaupre said it is not only “dangerous” but also ignorant to believe that so-called “clean energy” can somehow reliably replace the achievements of the oil and gas industry. The idea of “putting that aside, going the other way and hoping everything goes well” is wrong, he said.

He said, “We are sitting on an abundant supply of energy, and we now have the technology to get that energy, safer and cleaner than mankind has ever had before.”

Beaupre added, “I have a wind turbine on my farm, and it works fine. But I still always make sure to stock propane gas. In the quest for 100 percent renewable energy, we’re going to be facing the same situation as Texas one day.” “On those critical days, we’re going to need energy, but we don’t have the energy productivity and energy storage that they’re talking about.”

On January 17, TC Energy, the company responsible for the Keystone XL pipeline project, announced in a statement that by the time the pipeline comes online in 2023, it will be “net zero emissions throughout project operations.” TC Energy said they are committed to “to use exclusively renewable energy by 2030.” But Biden shut down the project on his first day in office.

The panelists also discussed the negative impact of Biden’s climate agenda and energy policies on the U.S. economy. Beaupre said that if you limit energy choices and sources, such as focusing only on solar and wind, it will drive up energy prices because competition has been eliminated.

Kelly noted that it is low-income people who are most often hurt by issues such as higher electricity prices.

“The idea that this (policy) will somehow benefit them is absurd,” he said. “If you live in a rural area, you know this (policy) is absolutely insane.”

He added, “Why are we punishing the hardest working Americans with this stupid policy and telling them that it’s going to work in the future anyway?” “I’m going to ask people, if you haven’t been there, don’t tell them how to live.”