A new Accountable.US report suggests the fossil-fuel industry is misleading the American public on the cause of rising gas prices.

Kyle Herrig, president of the watchdog group, said as oil and gas companies point fingers at the Biden administration, they continue to rake in profits and raise prices on consumers. He pointed to soaring windfalls gained by industry giants British Petroleum, Chevron, Exxon/Mobil and Shell.

"Combined, the four companies posted nearly $25 billion in quarter four of 2021, bringing their total profits last year to over $75 billion," Herrig reported.

Herrig noted instead of offering relief at the pump, oil companies have used profits for stock buybacks and shareholder dividends. The American Petroleum Institute and others are calling on President Joe Biden to increase domestic production by relaxing regulations and opening up new oil and gas leases on public lands.

Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Arizona, said the fossil-fuel industry is recycling old talking points about how more drilling and fewer regulations will bring down gas prices. He argued oil and gas companies are already sitting on 26 million acres of leases, and 53% are not producing.

"These same companies already have over 9,000 approved permits they can use whenever they want," Grijalva pointed out. "And the very companies with thousands of acres of existing leases and hundreds of unused permits are the same ones shouting that they need more land for drilling."

Herrig believes the current crisis in Ukraine is an important reminder of how a fossil-fuel-based economy is too unpredictable, and makes Americans dependent on the decisions of oil companies and hostile foreign leaders like Putin.

"We must invest in our future and secure real energy independence by speeding up the production of cheaper, cleaner energy here at home," Herrig contended. "So we aren't impacted by foreign supply-chain disruptions or conflicts overseas."

While lawmakers and environmental groups strive to lower vehicle emissions and the nation's carbon footprint, many truckers see unrealistic timeframes for new Environmental Protection Agency rules for heavy-duty truck emissions.

Some believe the EPA's push is an attempt to force people into buying electric vehicles, despite the cost and lack of a national charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles.

John Boesel is CEO of the nonprofit CALSTART, which he said has come up with a roadmap to achieving such a network. Boesel is convinced the nation needs to move faster to make an impact on climate change.

"In the future," he said, "we can see a society where we have trucks rolling around with zero emission and zero noise, truck drivers being much happier driving an electric truck, and benefiting communities that have been hard hit by diesel pollution and emissions."

Boesel said today's fleets are exposed to the volatility of the global oil markets, but that would change if they're powered by hydrogen or electricity. He added the Biden administration has an opportunity to make progress in supporting communities that have been disproportionately affected by diesel trucking and pollution.

Hilary Lewis, steel director at Industrious Labs, a group working to decarbonize heavy industry, said Detroit is well positioned to lead on "clean steel" and vehicles, with its robust supply chain and manufacturing capacity. She said the Inflation Reduction Act provides funding for clean steel facilities.

"The auto industry, they have a huge stake in the future of clean steel," she said. "If they were to wake up one day and decide, 'We need clean steel, we need to reduce the embodied emissions of our vehicle,' that would send a huge market signal to steel companies."

Ryan Gaul, president for commercial vehicles at Workhorse, which manufactures EVs in the Midwest, said decarbonizing supply chains has been a priority for a while now, but when it comes to making heavy-duty electric trucks, the regulations are what's missing.

"EVs are a competitive technology; that range is not really a problem anymore, and the benefits of the transition to EV have great effects - not just for the environment, but also for the creation of jobs," said Gaul. "Now, what we're doing in our company is, we're bringing jobs back to the Midwest."

Gaul said he also thinks investment in the public sector would help speed up the transition.


get more stories like this via email

Just as New York State prepares for its first offshore wind farm to come online, a new report predicted the state will not meet its climate goals.

The Public Power New York report showed, despite great progress, the state will not meet its 2030 clean-energy targets. In October, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a multibillion-dollar investment in renewable energy projects which would accomplish 70% of the state's goal.

Patrick Robbins, coordinator of the New York Energy Democracy Alliance, described some of the factors at play.

"One answer is a kind of uneven marketplace for financial investment when you're looking at renewable energy," Robbins explained. "There was a number of contracts and leases that fell apart for utility-scale renewables, just in the last two months, here in New York."

He also cited supply chain issues and increased costs for construction materials. Some renewable energy developers canceled projects because their contracts were negotiated prior to the pandemic. But Robbins is confident New York can make up lost ground, and pointed out the New York Power Authority is taking advantage of Inflation Reduction Act funds for renewable energy projects.

While the pandemic may have slowed New York's progress on its climate goals, it is not the entire issue. Robbins emphasized there is more than enough blame to go around. He argued the state could have done plenty of things differently since the goals were set in the Climate Leadership and Protection Act.

"The support from the state itself has really been uneven at best," Robbins contended. "Especially, actually, at the time of the CLCPA's passage. When you're not talking about a strong and dependable state partner, there's only really so much you can do."

Over the next year, Robbins stressed he and other climate activists hope to educate legislators and the public about New York's climate goals and what more could be done to achieve them.

Though 2030 may not be the year the goals are met, Robbins is confident they are within reach. He said the timeline depends on Gov. Hochul and the New York Power Authority's board.

"I am confident that, if the governor and the NYPA board craft an ambitious implementation plan for 2025 and see that through, we will usher in a new era in New York's energy generation that can set a positive example for the country and the world," Robbins added.

Plenty of legislation has passed in recent years to ensure the state moves closer to its goals. However, lawmakers have said some bills like the New York HEAT Act failed due to competing priorities in the budget process.

Utilities and government agencies in the U.S. are carrying out plans to transition to cleaner electricity sources. To avoid being left behind, rural communities, including in Minnesota, are leveraging federal resources to expand their power portfolios.

The topic was part of a recent congressional briefing hosted by the Rural Power Coalition.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., took part, saying investments from the Inflation Reduction Act provide grants and loans to rural electric co-ops, so they can purchase or develop renewable energy systems. There is also funding for municipal utilities and tribal governments.

"These voluntary, technology-neutral programs put rural electricity providers on the path to unleash clean energy for the communities that they serve in a way that works best for them," Smith explained.

Smith noted recent applications are likely to surpass available funds, underscoring strong demand from smaller communities to diversify energy sources. Rural electric co-ops have had a harder time competing with investor-owned utilities in the decarbonization movement, in part because of being locked into coal contracts. In Minnesota, co-ops serve roughly one-third of the state.

Gabriel Chan, associate professor of public policy at the University of Minnesota and co-director of the Electric Cooperative Innovation Center, spoke in the briefing. He said the extra federal support allows co-ops to scale up clean energy production while still managing their existing debt.

"This ensures that the energy transition can move at a rapid pace," Chan pointed out. "While also ensuring that the transition happens on an affordable and reliable path."

He suggested keeping costs lower for the energy transition in rural areas puts their local economies in a better position. According to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, such operations serve more than 90% of counties experiencing persistent poverty.