12-02-2013

State of the union a lesson in contradiction and denial

President Obama’s energy policy remarks in the State of the Union address were a lesson in the art of contradiction and denial. He touted the benefits of energy independence due to oil and gas production, but then reverted to the same policies of the past in suggesting a new slush fund for costly subsidies to fund expensive energy sources that will only hurt consumers struggling to emerge from a recessionary economy.

American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers President Charles T. Drevna said, “Despite the rhetoric on the promise of renewable energy, the fact remains that the country cannot blow, grow or glow its way to energy independence through billions in subsidies and massive mandates for alternative energy.

"As we have seen many times with this President, his lofty rhetoric does not meld with the reality of his actions. While it is encouraging for the president to tout oil and gas production, our new resources boom happened on private lands in spite of his efforts. He says he is going to cut red tape for energy production, but all he has done is erect more barriers to production on public lands since he has been in office. The President cites the abundance of fossil fuel as responsible for lower energy costs, yet inexplicably his policies are geared towards causing energy costs to 'skyrocket' for the average consumer.

“We are disappointed, but not surprised that the President refuses to recognize that you can’t have it both ways. It is illogical to tout the benefits of oil and natural gas resources in one breath and in the next call for the elimination of those same resources.

"The undisputable truth is that oil and natural gas are the immediate and long-term keys to energy independence and the catalysts to a domestic manufacturing revitalization that is capable of restoring the American economy.

“No foreign power can destabilize America’s vast energy resources. No foreign power can prevent us from developing the vast treasure trove of our fossil fuel reserves. We can only do it to ourselves – and we’ve been doing it far too long. The President, however, could start charting a new course tomorrow by approving the Keystone pipeline, which would replace oil we import from overseas with supplies from our neighbor to the north and create 20,000 jobs almost immediately."