Brenda Shaffer argues the Biden administration needs a more honest energy policy, and fast. Fuel inflation has become a political liability. Natural gas shortages are threatening heating and electricity costs at home.
Shaffer says calls on OPEC and Russia for more supply are a reactive scramble, not a strategy. The real problem is closer to home. Regulatory uncertainty and anti-fossil-fuel rhetoric have scared off investment in US oil and gas. That’s done more damage than anything OPEC has done.
She also pushes back on the renewables-versus-fossil-fuels framing. Solar and wind still need natural gas backup to keep the grid stable. Touting renewables as cost-competitive while ignoring that backup cost is misleading.
On climate, she notes Biden’s policies won’t move the needle without China and India on board. She also questions how much EVs actually cut emissions once battery manufacturing and power sources are factored in.
