Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, along with Lieutenant Governors from Alaska, Arkansas, Missouri, Ohio, and Louisiana, signed a letter criticizing President Joe Biden for his energy policy.

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The letter addressed to Biden, states that Americans are struggling to pay for gas and groceries due to rising inflation, which is 8.8% higher than a year ago, and increased gas prices, which have increased from a national average of $2.89 a gallon in April 2021 to $4.12 on April 2022.

Specifically, it calls on the Biden administration to do several things:

  • Provide certainty on oil and natural gas leasing by compelling the Department of Interior (DOI) to meet deadlines and honor its obligation to lease on federal lands and waters.
  • Permit energy infrastructure and half the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's increased regulatory barriers for approving natural gas pipelines.
  • Execute the laws that mandate the DOI to complete a long-term offshore program to avoid unnecessary production and development disruption.

When it comes to leasing, part of the complaint stems from Biden's decision when he took office to freeze new oil and gas leases by the Bureau of Land Management, a decision that was halted by a judge last June and Biden recently reversed course on that as well in order to address rising gas prices.

Part of the reason Biden initially paused oil and gas leasing on federal land, was due to a desire to address climate change, which is exacerbated by companies drilling for oil and gas.

The letter addressed to Biden made no mention of climate change or whether the U.S. could or should do something to address it.

A recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed more policy action needs to be taken to limit how much warming the planet experiences, as global temperatures are on track to increase by around 3 degrees Celcius, which would be disastrous for Earth.

Buchanan said in a press release that there should be increased oil and gas production stateside to reestablish our nation’s energy independence, stability, and security.

"Oil and gas production is an integral part of Wyoming’s economy," Buchanan said. "Cities, towns, counties, and individual families rely on this revenue. This is especially true now as we find ourselves in a time of increasing inflation."

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