Biden calls to see a faster gas price drop
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Today we were looking at President Biden
Joe BidenUngarSargon – The hardest hit working class by inflation is Nevada county. Biden to announce B in Ukraine Military Aid: Report MORECalling on oil companies to lower oil prices amid a dip, more approvals for liquefied gas exports, and a warning about the Bears Ears National Monument.
Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk were the Hill’s editors. Write to us with tips:[email protected]@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter:@RachelFrazinand@BudrykZack.
Lets jump in.
Biden warns companies not to ‘pad their’ profits
President Biden called on companies to lower gas prices Wednesday morning, saying that it should reflect the recent drop in oil per barrel.
Gas prices are falling, and oil prices are declining. Last time oil was at $96 per barrel, gasoline was at $3.62 per gallon. The president tweeted that the price is now $4.31. The profits of oil and gas companies should not be increased at the expense or hardworking Americans.
Biden’s tweet comes a week after U.S. average gas prices reached the highest level ever recorded and crude oil prices reached an all-time high of 14 years.
How did we get there: Gas prices are influenced by many factors. Unfortunately, the pain at the pump is often accompanied by low approval ratings for Biden. Gas prices plunged in the wake of the pandemic but rose as COVID-19 was lifted in 2021.
In response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Biden announced last week that he would ban Russian oil imports. Although most U.S. crude oil imports are from elsewhere, Biden warned that the ban would likely cause further increases in gas prices.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki
Jen PsakiOvernight Defense & National Security Presented to AM General Preparing to Zelensky’s big Speech Lawmakers put pressure on White House for support of Poland plan Biden administration to send six million to help Ukrainian refugeesPrevious statements had indicated that the White House was wary of imposing a ban to further upset the market.
But it’s not so simple. Tom Kloza (global head of energy analysis, Oil Price Information Service) told The Hill that gasoline prices rise as oil prices rise. However, they fall slower when oil prices fall. It’s always been rocket and feather,” he stated.
Learn more about Bidens Call here.
Officials approve more natural-gas exports
Tuesday’s Biden administration announcement stated that it would issue orders to increase its exports of liquified petroleum gas (LNG), as Europe seeks less dependence on Russian gas.
According to the Energy Department, two authorizations were issued that would allow two facilities to export an additional 720,000,000 cubic feet per day. The U.S. exported an average of 9.6 billion cubic feet per hour in the first half last year.
According to the department’s latest move, every U.S. export project will be able to export at maximum capacity.
Russia supplied 40% of Europe’s natural gas in the last year. After the invasion of Ukraine, the world has been trying to isolate the Kremlin. This has made Europe’s dependence upon Russia for fuel more visible. There has been a call for the U.S. LNG to be expanded.
Background:LNG refers to natural gas that’s been cooled to a liquid state in order to be transported and stored.
Climate advocates have raised concern about the fuels contribution to climate change.Reutersreported last week that a potential administration review of ways to increase LNG exports was shelved amid climate concerns.
You can read more about the announcement here.
Uranium milla “radioactive waste dump”
A mile from Bears Ears National Monument is the White Mesa uranium Mill. It now houses over 700 million pounds of radioactive waste, making it America’s cheapest radioactive waste dump.
According to the Grand Canyon Trust report, among the contents of the dump were remnants of the World War II-era Manhattan Project and radioactive waste from across the country. Despite being near the White Mesa Community of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribes White Mesa Community, the White Mesa Mill was originally built to process uranium. However, the site became home to a waste-disposal company.
Polluters are finding that White Mesa Mill is the best place to send radioactive waste. But it’s not a waste dump. It’s a uranium-mill, Tim Peterson of the Grand Canyon Trust, stated in a statement. The White Mesa Mill should be regulated if it wants to behave like a radioactive waste disposal site.
The Grand Canyon Trust is an environmental advocacy organization based out of Arizona. It focuses on Grand Canyon, Colorado Plateau, and Colorado Plateau conservation.
After the Trump administration reduced the monument’s boundaries by 85 percent in 2017, Bears Ears has been the subject of increased attention. In October, President Biden declared Bears Ears a sacred place and restored environmental protections.
Continue reading from The Hills Sharon Usadin.
PRICE IS RIGHT
Frank Pallone (D.N.J.), Chair of House Energy & Commerce Committee sent letters Wednesday to six chief executives of oil companies, asking them to testify on their business practices during and after the Russian invasion Ukraine.
Pallone wrote that many oil companies have seen record profits over the past years and that fossil fuel drilling currently has more that 9,000 unused permits on over 26 million acres public lands.
The letter’s recipients include executives from BP and Chevron, Devon Energy Corporations, ExxonMobil (Pioneer Natural Resources), Royal Dutch Shell, and ExxonMobil. They will be asked to testify by Pallone on April 6.
American families face high gasoline prices because of the volatility of global energy markets. Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinSenate passes resolution in support of Putin war crime probe Trump claims he’s surprised’ Putin ordered Ukraine’s invasion Lawmakers back Biden over potential economic sanctions for ChinaPallone wrote in the letters that, “In light of the unprovoked invasion and occupation of Ukraine, I am deeply worried that the oil sector has not taken all measures possible to lower domestic gasoline prices and relieve Americans’ pain at the pumps.” Instead, the industry seems to be profiting from the crisis.
Find out more about the letters.
NOTEQUOTE
“No country has ever been able weaponize clean energy, and ultimately, moving towards that direction is our greatest solution for security of energy for us and allies in Europe,” – Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
Jennifer GranholmBiden argues that gender equality benefits everyone to mark Women’s History Month. Forget Biden’s bump at the polls: His Putin problem is only getting worse Overnight Energy & Environment House agrees on a ban on Russian oilIn response to the Ukraine crisis
TOMORROW’S TAP
- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will hold an confirmation hearing for Kathryn Huff as the top nuclear energy official in the Energy Department.
- The House Natural Resources Committee will hold an hearing on the U.S. nuclear legacy to the Marshall Islands
WHAT WE ARE READING
- Biden’s efforts to contain wildfires, which are being threatened by staffing problems (Politico).
- Californians used water more to brace for another dry season (CalMatters).
- The Big Sneeze – Climate change will make pollen season more unpleasant (The Associated Press).
- EPA: The illegal use of pesticide barrels containing forever chemicals (E&E News).
Finally, something a little offbeat: Girls like swarms lizards.
That’s all for today. Thank you for reading. For the most recent news and coverage, visit The Hillsenergy & environment page. We hope to see you on Thursday.
