President Joe Biden, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, uttered her ignorance before her high-profile meeting with top executives, saying she didn’t know what oil companies needed to produce more fuel.
“It’s not about funding, but maybe they need more help identifying the supply chain issue,” Granholm told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “We… I just don’t know. So let’s see.”
Granholm, which manages US energy, is expected to meet with oil executives on Thursday, weeks after gas prices soared to a new record high.
Despite her entire career as energy secretary denouncing fossil fuels, she tried to convey positive emotions from the upcoming meeting.
“Tomorrow we will have an honest and serious discussion about how we can be partners in helping people at the gas station,” he said.
Granholm’s tone differed from Biden’s stern letter to oil companies last week, threatening to use emergency military forces if they couldn’t produce more fuel.
NIKOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images
Oil executives have already made public what they need from management to help with more oil and gas production.
The American Petroleum Institute has released a list of ten policies the Biden administration can implement if it is serious about increasing fuel production.
In a statement last week, ExxonMobil also outlined a few actions the Biden administration could take to increase gas production.
The description was:
In the short term, the U.S. government may take measures, such as repealing the provisions of the Jones Act and certain details of fuel to increase supply, which are often used in emergencies after hurricanes or other supply disruptions. In the long run, the government can encourage investment with clear and consistent policies that support the development of US resources such as regular and predictable lending, and infrastructure support such as simplified regulatory approvals and pipelines.
In a letter published Tuesday, Chevron CEO Mike Wirth criticized Biden and his administration for being more inclined to “criticize and sometimes defame our industry.”
“We need clarity and consistency on policy issues, from federal land leases and permits, to the ability to allow and build critical infrastructure, and the appropriate role of regulation that takes into account both costs and benefits,” he wrote.
In response, Biden mocked the leaders’ concerns.
“I didn’t know they could hurt their feelings so quickly,” he said on Tuesday, describing Wirt and other CEOs as “a little sensitive” to their reaction.
On Sunday, Biden said he would not meet with oil industry executives, arguing that management officials should lead.
Instead, he wanted gas stations to begin price reductions.
“These are not ordinary times. Cut the price you get at the gas station to reflect the cost you pay for the product,” Biden said on Wednesday. “Do it now. Do it now. “
Source: Breitbart
