The Biden administration will release 1 million barrels of oil each day for the next six months from U.S. reserves amid high gasoline prices.
The plan announced Thursday is an effort to relieve some inflation associated with rising gasoline prices and combat other supply shortages that partly stem from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [bold, links added]
“This record release will provide a historic amount of supply to serve as a bridge until the end of the year when domestic production ramps up,” the White House said.
President Biden is expected to formally announce the move at a White House event Thursday afternoon.
And Biden will also call for Congress to force oil companies to pay fees for unused leases, accusing energy producers of “hoarding without producing.”
“Companies that are producing from their leased acres and existing wells will not face higher fees,” the White House said. “But companies that continue to sit on non-producing acres will have to choose whether to start producing or pay a fee for each idled well and unused acre.”
The oil and gas industry insists that obtaining a lease is merely the first step in a process that includes permitting and investigating whether there is actually any fossil fuel below the ground to extract.
The White House pressure on oil companies over “unused” leases is being echoed by Democrats in Congress, who are pushing CEOs to testify next week.
The national average for gas on Wednesday was $4.23, a penny cheaper than the day before but 62 cents higher than the month before, according to AAA. This time last year, the average price for gas was $2.86.
Read more at Fox Business
BIDEN IS SETTING HIMSELF UP FOR TROUNCING IN 2024
This is a political ploy (gimmick), not a solution. While Biden is not responsible for all the run up in oil prices, his domestic policies are doing LITTLE to promote increased U.S production. In addition, VILIFYING energy producers promotes NOTHING positive. It is obvious (to me) that the activists on the White House staff and many Democratic members of Congress have NO CLUE how our domestic energy system actually works and the forces at play in the worldwide energy market. We just continue to look for “band-aids” to a much larger challenge. What a shame. Better hope for a significant change in the November mid-terms befor these guys do any more significant damage…
Of course it’s a ploy to try to swing voters to vote Democrats back into office in November. But there is no plan in how to replenish these nearly 200 million barrels of oil back into the reserve since Biden is still squelching US production.
One million barrels a day for six months. I hear tell that that will be 30% of the US “STRATEGIC” reserve. Is China scheduled to invaded Taiwan about seven months from now ? Right about the mid-term election day. Election ‘postponed’ – or ‘canceled”?
I wouldn’t put it past them. After all, China does have our “Dear Leader” by the short hairs. (A ‘conspiracy theory’ that I wouldn’t want to come true.)
Just to save his sagging polls he still the Nations #1 Worst Dictators right behind Obama