Energy Expert Blasts Biden Administration for Doing Too Little to Combat Soaring Gas Prices

(KNSI) — Some states have already started suspending gas taxes, and others – including Minnesota – are considering such a move to help consumers who are facing record high gas prices.

David Holt with the Consumer Energy Alliance doubts this will have that much of an impact, saying the move is akin to “a band-aid on the side of a ship that is leaking water and sinking.”

President Joe Biden released a portion of the country’s strategic petroleum reserves in November, but it was the week of Thanksgiving, which is a major traveling holiday, so there was no incentive to lower prices.

Gas has soared to over $4 and $5 a gallon in some areas in the last month. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in St. Cloud is $3.86, which is about where it was a week ago. It’s still about 50 cents higher than it was a month ago. A year ago, we were paying an average of about $2.74.

Instead, Holt says long-term solutions such as lifting restrictions on the oil and gas industry and increasing its energy production is the ticket. He says the U.S. “really needs a sensible policy, and it’s confusing why this administration won’t see that.”

He also blasted Biden for not meeting with the industry and not taking care of permitting slowdowns. The reason for the slowdowns isn’t clear, but the Bureau of Land Management, which issues the permits, says the time between when a drilling application is made and when it’s approved has declined by half. Some are also blaming worker shortages and supply chain issues.

While gas prices are down slightly from their peak earlier this month, energy experts say they could still be lower. David Holt with the Consumer Energy Alliance blasted the federal government for not doing anything to lift restrictions on the oil and gas industry or create long-term solutions like increasing domestic production to help ease the pain at the pump.

The U.S. was a net energy exporter in 2019 and 2020.

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