This week, I reintroduced the Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act in the Senate. This was one of the first bills I introduced in the 117th Congress to push back on the Biden administration’s attempts to stifle Wyoming’s energy and mineral industries.
When President Biden took office, one of his first executive orders attempted to ban energy development on federal lands by halting lease sales. Wyoming is made up of nearly 50% federal land. 51% of all oil and 92% of all natural gas produced in Wyoming is produced on federal lands. The Biden administration was forced to resume lease sales after a court decision in 2022, but it did so at a dramatically reduced volume, causing continued injury to the energy industry in our country. This decision translates to higher prices on everything from home heating to gas and groceries.
I reintroduced this legislation because the Biden administration has continued its hostility toward our domestic energy and mineral industries. The U.S. produces some of the cleanest energy in the world, but instead of unleashing and empowering our domestic energy capabilities, the U.S. is leaving our allies completely reliant on Russia and China for their energy needs. Wyoming can power the nation and the U.S. can power the world. We just need the federal government to get out of the way.
Wyoming’s energy industry is one of our most valuable assets, providing thousands of jobs and generating critical revenue for local and state government. I will continue fighting for our state and the reliable energy it provides.