If the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (emphasis on “Strategic” and “Reserve) is not empty, it has to be getting pretty darn close to becoming the national equivalent of closet space. PJ Media’s Stephen Green and Rick Moran have been warning us about the problem since the summer, and you can read those warnings here, here, and here. That, of course, is the proverbial bad news. The worse news is that the Biden administration is not serious about refilling the reserve anytime soon. But you probably already knew that.
The Daily Caller reports that the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced on Friday that the Biden administration has released the most restrictive plan for offshore oil and gas lease sales in history. Between now and 2029, there will be a grand total of three lease sales. Three. Not 300. Not 30. Three.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland called it “the smallest number of oil and gas lease sales in history.” It is the minimum number the administration could pursue and is part of the DOI’s plan to “phase down” oil and gas activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Haaland added, “The Biden-Harris administration is committed to building a clean energy future that ensures America’s energy independence.”
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The plan has not been received well by some, most notably the National Ocean Industries Association. Association President Erik Milito issued a statement later in the day, calling the move an “utter failure.” Milito said:
President Biden’s approach to severely limit leasing significantly curtails access to a critical national asset at a time when energy inflation is rampant, the likelihood of a national recession looms, and global efforts are intensifying to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
He added that the move would hurt Americans, boost gas prices, and cut jobs. He also noted that Biden was giving an advantage to countries like China, Russia, and Iran, who have no qualms about accessing oil and gas. He added that the plan would only increase America’s dependence on foreign producers and weaken the nation’s energy independence.
Incidentally, the College Fix notes that New York University has announced that it will divest itself from and will not invest in companies that engage in the discovery and extraction of fossil fuels. This came at the behest of a student environmental group called Sunrise NYU. On its website, the group stated, “For years the university dragged its feet, refusing to commit to divestment. . . . We organized students, faculty, and staff, and through our collective power, drove NYU to be on the right side of history.” (sic)
In the meantime, the Washington Examiner notes that on Thursday, U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures briefly topped $95 per barrel. That is the highest level since August of last year. The paper said that will mean higher gas prices and will cause problems for the Fed in terms of trying to lower inflation.
The efforts of the NYU students are understandable. They live in a world of TikTok, Instagram, hormones, emotion, and yes, even rage, which is accessible on demand. They have had years of climate change sermons drilled into their heads and have yet to encounter the realities of life with which real adults must contend. In their minds, oil and gas are equated with conservative white males, and any effort that thwarts conservative white males is naturally a good thing. They, and for that matter, their teachers and role models will remain utterly clueless when the store shelves are empty and the lives that they previously enjoyed are no longer possible. And they will protest. They will scream, shout, yell, bellyache, post, and vent. And then they will demand that someone do something.
A bit higher up on the progressive food chain, as I have reported on these pages before, Biden has moved to place offshore wind farms in a marine wildlife sanctuary and add a solar farm to the California desert. And the companies behind these efforts are Biden donors. The kids at NYU don’t understand that, and they likely wouldn’t care if they did.
One of the greatest achievements of whoever is trying to destroy Western society is getting everyone, particularly the young, to act out of emotion since the consequences will always manifest themselves tomorrow. The only problem is that tomorrow will come much sooner than anyone thinks.
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