ENERGY POLICY
Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 20
(Senate - February 3, 2021) PDF
Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Mr. President, I rise to discuss the importance of
the American energy sector and my concern about President Biden's
Executive orders regarding domestic energy policy.
In the first hours of the Biden administration, the President signed
an Executive order revoking the Presidential permit of the Keystone XL
Pipeline, a project projected to add 11,000 American jobs this year and
pump $1.6 billion in wages into our economy. The new administration's
actions ceased construction work, nullified contracts issued last
October to hire an estimated 7,000 union construction workers, and
disappointed our Canadian ally.
It is deeply concerning that our national energy policy should take
such a dramatic turn away from pro-jobs and pro-American energy
independence. Americans' unemployment rate is already in a precarious
situation due to the ongoing global pandemic, and I fail to see how
destroying more jobs unifies our Nation.
Mississippians and Americans in the energy industry have worked
tirelessly for our Nation, and in 2019 America became energy
independent for the first time in 60 years. It is thanks to our energy
workers that we are no longer forced to rely on foreign powers who do
not wish America well.
Terminating the Keystone XL Pipeline was just the start of what we
now recognize to be a concerted effort to bring down fossil fuel
resources in our Nation. The administration's subsequent ban on new oil
and gas leases on Federal lands will result in an estimated $33.5
billion in lost GDP across Western States in President Biden's first
term and risk over $8.8 billion annually in conservation funding.
Oil and natural gas from Federal lands accounted for 6.4 percent and
9.2 percent, respectively, of the Nation's total production. Jobs and
economic opportunity are being carelessly stripped away.
And while my State may not be burned by the Federal leasing ban as
badly as Wyoming, New Mexico, and other Western States, Mississippi
will certainly feel the heat from this. Mississippi has a significant
energy infrastructure which provides thousands of jobs and hundreds of
millions of dollars in economic output.
The Gulf of Mexico is one of the Nation's most important regions for
energy resources and accounts for a large portion of our crude oil and
Federal offshore natural gas production.
My State is home to the 1,443-megawatt Grand Gulf nuclear power
station in Port Gibson, MS, which is the largest reactor in terms of
generating capacity in the United States. We host a large petroleum
refinery, a natural gas processing plant, and a liquefied natural gas
terminal located along the State's Gulf of Mexico coastline.
Additionally, the Red Hills surface coal mine provides lignite coal
to the Red Hills Power Plant, creating jobs and generation capacity in
North Mississippi. Along with these great sources, Mississippi has
growing investments in natural gas and in solar power.
Destructive policies that make fuel sources more difficult to obtain
could greatly harm economic growth and raise the cost of energy prices,
which will ultimately harm low-income families and many small
businesses, not just in Mississippi but across the entire Nation.
My concerns are not based on any objections to green or renewable
energy sources. I believe the American people want balanced national
energy policies that promote growth and price stability. However, the
early actions of the Biden administration are cause for concern and not
a source of unity. They signal a troubling willingness to sacrifice
strategic industries that are important to our economy and for the jobs
that they provide.
This body should take into consideration important legislation such
as the POWER Act and the Conservation Funding Protection Act, which
would allow Congress to enact responsible energy policies and move away
from policies landed in executive edits.
During a time when America's energy businesses are seeking recovery
from this global pandemic, losing precious jobs that keep the lights on
for the constituents and feed their families cannot and should not be
the route this administration is taking.