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U.S. Energy Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, has assuaged worries about the Joe Biden administration’s halting of licenses for new liquefied natural gas facilities. Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, she emphasized that the U.S. will maintain its position as the world’s top natural gas exporter, and the temporary halt will not influence relationships with allies or their energy supply.
The Biden administration’s decision has drawn criticism, with the Republican-majority House of Representatives recently passing a legislative measure to undo the pause. The Democrat-controlled Senate is yet to approve the bill.
In another development, U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revoked a prohibition on coal leasing on federal lands, a blow for environmentalists. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a critical case involving the Environmental Protection Agency’s “good neighbor” policy, which pertains to cross-state pollution.
The pushed-back production at one of the largest U.S. solar factories in Pataskala, a suburban town in Columbus, Ohio, has drawn attention towards the Biden administration’s stance on clean energy and the complexity of its relationship with China. The factory, Illuminate USA, is a joint project between U.S. renewables developer, Invenergy, and Longi, a Chinese solar panel giant.
The factory is part of the Biden administration’s drive to create a domestic manufacturing base for clean technologies and aims to reduce dependency on China, who dominates the market currently.
Illuminate USA, located in Licking county, a strong-Trump supporting area, has been received with mixed sentiments. With a good number of locals concerned over the factory’s ties with China, there is a growing acceptance of clean energy and manufacturing jobs that pay well.
Concerns over the fate of these jobs under the Biden administration remain. Yet, the U.S. is expected to surge ahead in the solar sector, despite a glut in solar panels triggered by overproduction in China that had put many manufacturers at risk. Officials from the Trump era have warned of slashing the Inflation Reduction Act should Trump return to power in November.
Although concerns over future political changes persist, workers at Illuminate USA are undeterred, believing in their jobs’ longevity and not linking their employment prospects with Biden’s policies.
Lastly, the U.S. crude oil production is expected for a deceleration, with a projection from Wood Mackenzie of a 270,000 barrels per day growth in 2024, a stark drop from the 900,000 barrels a day in 2021, showing the lowest growth rate since 2016, excluding the Covid-19 pandemic years. Inflation, private consolidation, and falling rig count are cited says factors causing this sluggishness.
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