President Joe Biden dug in his heels Friday in restating his administration’s ongoing war against domestic energy production. Addressing a California audience, the president declared that “we’re going to be shutting down these (coal) plants all across America.”
Replacing them, he predicted, will be wind and solar power — and both will be “cheaper.”
Biden’s revealing comments were immediately criticized by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) as “offensive and disgusting.” The Democrat rightly condemned the president’s statement as ignorant of the “severe economic pain” Americans now feel due to soaring energy costs.
As for Biden’s claim that these alternative energy sources will be cheaper, there is more than ample evidence disproving his position. California, where he made his ill-advised remarks, is exhibit number one.
The state prides itself with leading the nation in “clean energy,” but it is also the home to rolling blackouts and consumers paying nearly double the national average per kilowatt-hour for electricity.
Manchin demands Biden apology over 'offensive and disgusting' coal comments | Just The News https://t.co/SbDVCezy1C
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) November 7, 2022
The state trails only Alaska, Hawaii, and New York in energy costs.
As for pump prices, the average for a gallon of regular gas in the Golden State is $5.458. In Texas, which has a grown-up energy policy, the price is $3.173.
As has become her duty, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre quickly backtracked her boss’ comments. On Saturday, she asserted that Biden’s remarks “have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended.”
She added that the president regrets if anyone took offense.
How many ways are there to misinterpret the declaration that the administration will be closing down coal facilities across the nation? As clear statements go, that one is rather transparent.
Jean-Pierre went further to state that Biden knows “the men and women of coal country built this nation.”
No, the position of the White House on domestic energy production is crystal clear. And if it wasn’t, Biden added clarity when he responded to a climate protester over the weekend at an event promoting New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The president yelled, “No more drilling. There is no more drilling! I haven’t formed any new drilling.”
Biden, who is not above pleading with OPEC+ to increase production ahead of the midterm elections, is firmly against raising output at home. Someone should remind him that comments made in California in 2022 are immediately heard, even in coal country.
