Cynthia Lummis Pens Article for Fox News, Slams Biden Energy ‘Crisis’
Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis has penned a new article for Fox News, in which she addresses new concerns she has with President Biden's presence at the COP26 Summit in Scotland, where he will speak about environmental issues with other global leaders.
In the article, Lummis wrote that she had been 'reflecting' on America's energy production, consumption, and carbon footprint.
"It’s remarkable to think that during the Trump administration, America rose to worldwide energy dominance, not only becoming the global leader in oil and natural gas production, but becoming energy independent for the first time since the 1950s," Lummis wrote. "Wyoming was a proud contributor in that effort. As the country’s biggest net energy supplier, we have provided our neighboring states with the energy they need to thrive."
Trump's 'America First' energy plan focused primarily on domestic oil & gas, as well as coal.
Of course, Trump's plan made no mention of clean, solar and wind energy. The fact that he was "committed to reviving America's coal industry, which has been hurting for too long," instead of utilizing clean energy spoke volumes.
The NRDC stated that "The Trump energy plan is a bad deal for America. It promises a future with more climate insecurity, more costly extreme weather, and more health issues related to air and water pollution. The plan is not in the best interest of either America or the world. The U.S. has more productive paths to providing affordable energy and creating new jobs. America needs a strong, 21st energy plan that delivers the health, economic and environmental benefits of clean energy and efficiency to all."
Trump's plan did, however, put the focus on domestic resources and Lummis said that's pivotal to subsequent energy plans.
"The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated just how important it is to produce key resources like energy here in the United States," Lummis wrote. "Sadly, that is not the lesson that President Biden learned. In the name of environmentalism, he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and banned new oil and gas drilling and leasing on federal lands."
Biden issued a moratorium on all oil and gas leasing on federal lands, in an effort to address climate change. Wyoming was quick to stand up against the ban. Governor Mark Gordon called the move 'beyond misguided.'
“It is disingenuous, disheartening, and a crushing blow to the economies of many Western States, particularly Wyoming,” he stated. “No matter how it is framed, this action is still a ban on leasing.”
Read More: Officials and Professionals React to Federal Drilling Ban
Lummis wrote that while Biden banned new federal leasing domestically, he approved the Russian Nord Stream II pipeline which, Lummis said, gives greater influence to countries overseas.
"This is not only shortsighted from a geopolitical perspective, it’s even bad from an environmental one," Lummis wrote. President Biden’s own Energy Secretary has called Russian gas "the dirtiest form of natural gas on Earth."
Lummis argued that it would be more environmentally friendly for the United States to simply ship natural gas to the E.U.
"In 2019, Russian natural gas flowing into the E.U. was shown to produce 22 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than European coal. By contrast, U.S. natural gas delivered to the E.U. produces up to 56 percent less."
Lummis wrote that President Biden is penalizing North American energy production while boosing Russia and Vladimir Putin.
"And while President Biden is hobnobbing with global leaders, congressional Democrats are debating new ways to hamstring our economy in the name of their green agenda," Lummis wrote. "Democrats’ reckless tax and spending proposal would not only drive our country further in debt and add fuel to the inflation fire already devastating America’s families, but it would cement huge parts of the unpopular Green New Deal as the law of the land."
A big reason for President Biden's energy plan is that it would, ideally, reduce carbon emissions, making for a safer, cleaner, and healthier environment. But Cynthia Lummis said that America is already reducing carbon emissions.
"North America is going to become the global leader in renewable energy over the next decade or so, and since 2000 the United States has had the largest decline in emissions of any country," she wrote. "Wyoming has played a proud part in that effort. We have doubled our wind power since 2009. We have the third-largest wind power generating capacity in the U.S. Our traditional energy sources, coal, oil and natural gas, are some of the cleanest burning in the world. By powering our nation, and nations around the globe, we are decreasing our carbon footprint."
Lummis stated that she believes 'The Biden administration has put us on a dangerous path."
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