Critics are slamming President Joe Biden’s moratorium on new federal oil leases, citing the climate crisis and his plans to transition to green energy as detrimental to the country’s fuel prices.
According to Senate voting records, Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto of Nevada voted against an amendment “to cancel the Biden administration’s ban on oil and gas leasing on federal land to help lower gasoline prices and reduce energy dependence on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.”
Nevada’s average gas prices are up in 2022 at $4.90 per gallon as of Monday, compared to $3.98 per gallon in 2021, according to AAA Gas Prices.
Republican U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow of Louisiana recently tweeted about the Biden administration’s gas and oil lease policy.
“Because of this Administration’s energy policies, our reserves are drastically depleted and offshore leasing has slowed to a halt. Increasing domestic production is the long-term solution that will keep Americans from paying outrageous prices at the pump,” Letlow said.
Federal oil leases have yielded the lowest amount of domestic oil since the end of World War II under President Biden, according to the Wall Street Journal. Furthermore, the Biden administration has leased 0.13 million acres in his first 19 months. For comparison, President George Bush leased 12.74 acres, President Barack Obama leased 7.25 million acres, and President Donald Trump leased 4.14 acres.
Biden’s executive order was released on Jan. 27, 2020, citing the “climate crisis” as the main reason for the moratorium.
Biden said, “climate considerations shall be an essential element of United States foreign policy and national security,” according to a White House news release.
The order lays out ways the administration will prioritize the climate crisis, including “pause new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or in offshore waters pending completion of a comprehensive review.”
Daniel Yergin, vice chair of S&P Global, argued that federal oil leases on American land have been a priority for previous administrations.
“Whether Democrats or Republicans, presidents have wanted to embrace the idea of energy independence and production,” Yergin said.
Biden’s energy objective has led cynics to state that not utilizing fossil fuels has contributed to rising fuel prices.
According to Center Square, Biden’s moratorium on federal oil leases has contributed to rising gas prices.
“Canceling oil and gas leases is part of Biden’s ongoing punishing of the industry including threatening banks for lending and investment,” Daniel Turner, executive director of the energy workers advocacy group Power the Future, said. “We are all living the consequence: outrageously high prices and growing shortages.”
