Hi Friend -
I hope you will subscribe to IWF’s Center for Energy and Conservation newsletter — Clearing the Air. February and March have been very busy on our front as we officially launched the Center and immediately got to work. A huge part of changing the conversation around energy and the environment involves giving the engaged public (that’s you) the facts. As one of our famous Founding Fathers said, “a well-informed electorate is a prerequisite to democracy.” I agree and will work to keep you as well informed as possible on all things related to energy and the environment.
In our first official newsletter, we cut through the noise, highlight some of the biggest stories in our space and give you the facts. As a bonus round over the next few months, I’ll be introducing subscribers to our esteemed advisory board. First up is Donna Jackson who serves as the director of membership development for the Project 21 black leadership network. I’d love for you to join the conversation by subscribing today!
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-Mandy Gunasekara
Director, Center for Energy and Conservation
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THE CONDITION
Lawmakers Working to Provide Energy Cost Relief to Americans
In case you missed it, our February policy focus explained how the push for bad ideas and inferior technologies have undermined the ability of our energy systems to deliver power when needed most. Not only are one in six American families behind on energy bills but our system as a whole was downgraded for the first time in modern history. This reality has literally left some Americans out in the cold or with exorbitant energy bills. Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have also been following this issue and introduced H.R. 1, the Lowering Energy Costs Act, to fix these problems. You can check out a summary of the bill here and get a preview of IW’s Statement of Support:
“America’s future requires more energy and H.R. 1 will address this need. The comprehensive package will ensure hardworking families have access to affordable energy that works when needed most. Our country is blessed with abundant resources which the men and women in the U.S. energy industry know how to extract, refine, and deliver in the safest, most environmentally-friendly way...”
Read the full statement here.
IWV, our sister organization, also joined a coalition letter with over two dozen other free-market organizations. You can read that letter here.
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Conservatives Should Speak Up on the Environment
Our lives will not function without fossil energy like coal, oil, and natural gas — which make up 80% of the energy we use.Our policy leaders must accept this fact.
Financial Services Committee Establishes ESG Working Group
The Working Group’s stated goal is to protect everyday investors from threats posed by ESG while protecting the integrity of American free enterprise. These goals are increasingly important as savings are squeezed by poor economic conditions.
Biden Tax on Electricity Use Is Designed for Control
President Biden released his fiscal year 2024 budget. The $5.9 trillion monstrosity is rife with wasteful spending, duplicative programs, and guaranteed bureaucratic growth.
Was The Biden Administration’s Claim Of 9,000 Unused Drilling Permits Accurate?
Last year, Biden claimed that 9,000 oil and gas leases are simply unused. But is this claim true? New information has come to light.
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This type of over-the-top rhetoric trying to connect unrelated institutional failures to climate change is more about getting clicks than it is about conveying any serious information. The collapse of SVB is bad news for the bank’s depositors and investors, and indicative of larger problems in our current financial system (mostly driven by inflation), but it will have no relative impact on the climate.
Fear-aligned rhetoric has no place in environmental policy.
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THE SPOTLIGHT
Meet CEC Advisory Board Member Donna Jackson!
Donna Jackson serves as the director of membership development for the Project 21 black leadership network. She is a seasoned accountant with public and private sector experience as well as previous forays into politics and ministry. Prior to her career in accounting, Donna was a political operative in the state of Arkansas. She worked on the successful campaigns of Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator Tim Hutchinson, and former Governor Asa Hutchinson.
Donna earned a Bachelor of Accountancy (cum laude) from the California State University San Marcos. She has worked in accounting, auditing, and management roles with major companies such as Ernst & Young and Marriott International in the private sector before serving in the public sector as a deputy controller for the Export-Import Bank of the United States. She is a member of the National Association of Black Accountants.
Donna originally sought a role in the church. She is a former divinity graduate of Charles H. Mason Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. It was there that she was taught the gift of administration as a vital part of the Christian ministry.
To see more of Donna’s work, check it out here.
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Fox Business | Biden Administration Sued by Massachusetts Lobstermen Read
Bloomberg | Former Trump EPA Official Launches New Climate and Energy Group Read
E&E News | Trump EPA Official Launches Think Tank's Energy Center Read
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We often take for granted the strong respect for private property rights that is an embedded part of the American experience. Unfortunately, these rights are under attack from a regulation from the Biden administration’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) referred to as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. The crux of this issue comes down to a difference of perspective: Team Biden believes the federal government can better protect the environment by controlling development decisions on private lands, and I, along with numerous other conservative allies believe its the property owners—farmers, ranchers, homeowners, and developers to name a few—know how best to protect their local environment and more importantly, have a vested interest. The WOTUS saga is complex, but Daren Bask recently broke down the issue and what is at stake as the U.S. Senate considers whether it should strike down this regulation. Check out his CEI blog post — Senators Should Reject WOTUS Overreach
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