Biden making a mistake relying on foreign oil. Keystone XL pipeline is a solution | Opinion
On his first day in office, President Biden declared war on American energy by signing an executive order to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and ban all new oil and gas development on federal lands.
Coupled with more burdensome regulations on building pipelines and other infrastructure, Americans have seen record-high gasoline prices, higher Co2 emissions than the previous four years combined and increased dependence on China and other adversaries, all under Biden’s watch. The American people are hurting because of this administration’s assault on American energy.
While Biden and his team try to place Band-Aids on the problem, the time has long past for this administration to take the only action capable of lowering fuel prices for American families and ending reliance on China — unleash American energy production right here at home.
The Keystone XL pipeline has the potential to deliver more than 830,000 barrels of crude oil to U.S. refineries every day. America’s energy and natural resources production is some of the cleanest, most efficient and innovative in the world. Unleashing American energy production would provide economic and energy security to American families and increase our competitive advantage over the rest of the world.
Ironically, and contrary to the Biden administration’s rhetoric, importing crude oil instead of producing clean oil domestically increases Co2 emissions. In fact, U.S. emissions have increased by 6% since Biden took office, a stark contrast to the 10.2% reduction during Trump’s four years in office.
Furthermore, the United States has long been the world leader in reducing carbon emissions while increasing production. From 2005-2020, this nation reduced emissions more than the next seven countries combined. Meanwhile, China’s emissions grew almost four times more than the amount reduced by the United States. America has the power and resources to lower costs for families and strengthen our energy and national security by tapping into our domestic stockpile. We can do all this while lowering global emissions and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries for our energy and resource needs.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts world energy consumption will grow by nearly 50% between 2020 and 2050. Additionally, global demand for natural gas is expected to increase 31% to 58%, and the global demand for minerals needed for clean energy technologies, such as graphite, lithium, and cobalt, is rising. Who supplies that energy demand matters.
Currently, the United States is 100% reliant on imports for 17 key mineral resources and more than 50% dependent on imports for another 29 minerals– most of which are available within the U.S.
To no one’s surprise, China is a major import source for 11 critical minerals and dominates the production of minerals necessary for electric vehicles and renewable energy while manufacturing over 95% of global solar panels — not to mention their inhumane working conditions.
Advancing clean energy policies to increase our demand for critical minerals, including rare earth elements, without significantly expanding our domestic capacity to mine and refine them, will result in a United States increasingly dependent on China and other adversaries. We cannot empower tyrannical dictatorships like the Chinese Communist Party, Nicolás Maduro, and others by relying on them for our energy needs, especially when the United States is fully capable of indisputably leading the world in clean energy production.
The Biden administration must abandon its failed energy policies and immediately reverse course. It must end the federal freeze on new oil and gas leases; fast-track pending LNG export permits; expedite approval of all pipeline and energy development; and stop the regulatory assault on U.S. energy development and financing.
Unleash American energy now.
U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Carlos A. Gimenez and Maria Elvira Salazar represent Miami-Dade in the U.S. House.
