(PresidentialWire.com)- Alaska is ready to step up and increase their production of oil and gas as tensions are increasing between Russia and Ukraine.
But, Governor Mike Dunleavy said earlier this week that the Biden administration would need to give the go-ahead for the state to do that.
Oil prices have surged in recent days as many countries have placed serious sanctions on Russian businesses, politicians, oligarchs and their families, which has significantly affected the output of Russian energy.
On Monday, the U.S. benchmark of crude oil sat at roughly $96 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Just last week, oil reached $105 per barrel, which was the highest it’s been since 2014.
Many people are concerned that as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues, the price of oil could continue to rise in the coming weeks and months. Russia is a major producer of oil and exports to many western countries.
Appearing on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” earlier this week, Dunleavy said of Alaska:
“We have billions of barrels of oil still in the ground. We’ve got about 126 trillion cubic feet of gas that we can deliver to our friends in Asia as well as the West Coast. So, we’re prepared and ready to do our part if this administration allows us to.”
The Biden administration has been continuing to push the need for the United States to rely less on foreign oil. But, the way the White House says that needs to be accomplished is by transitioning to renewable energy, rather than increasing production of oil domestically.
Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in an ABC interview over the weekend:
“We need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, on oil in general, and we need to look at other ways of having energy in our country and others. We’ve seen over the last week or so … a number of European countries are recognizing they need to reduce their own reliance on Russian oil.”
While many NATO countries have instituted serious sanctions on Russia in response to their invasion of Ukraine, many of the European participants have been careful not to harm Russia’s oil and gas output too much. That’s because those nations are very reliant on Russian oil to literally fuel their countries.
The U.S. is less reliant on Russian oil than many of the NATO countries, of course, but the Biden administration is still not turning inward to wind down reliance on external sources.
In fact, just last week, the Biden administration announced it would delay decisions on any new leases for gas and oil after a federal judge blocked the White House from implementing higher cost estimates of climate change when they are regulating industries that contribute to pollution.
The Biden administration is pushing hard for renewable energy, but many people believe the plan isn’t realistic.
People like Dunleavy are saying that while the U.S. pushes for more renewable energy, they should be increasing their domestic production of natural gas and oil at the same time.
Alaska is ready to do just that. They’re just waiting for the word from President Joe Biden.
