Gov 1-26-21
Governor Mark Gordon is slamming plans by the Biden administration to halt the issuing of new oil and gas leases on federal land, calling the decision a misguided approach that will have severe economic consequences to Wyoming and other western states.
Multiple media outlets have reported that the Biden administration has drafted an order to impose an oil and gas lease moratorium while it conducts a review of the federal oil and gas leasing program.
“The President’s decision to halt Federal leasing on oil and gas under the guise of a ‘pause’ is beyond misguided,” Governor Gordon said. “It is disingenuous, disheartening and a crushing blow to the economies of many Western States, particularly Wyoming. No matter how it is framed, this action is still a ban on leasing.”
Governor Gordon pointed out that the administration’s planned action threatens thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues per year.
“This executive action lends credence to the concerns that the administration is bound and determined to dictate all policies from Washington, DC, regardless of dire consequences,” the Governor continued. “It is a reinvigoration of top-down, Obama-era policies that only served to divide and alienate the very working-class American communities with whom the Biden administration has pledged to unite.
“It is clear President Biden has caved in to a loud segment of the Democratic Party that is pushing to require all policies and decisions to meet a litmus test of climate change, regardless of consequence. Any examination of the most recent election results would have to conclude that voters rejected this sort of far-reaching and radicalized platform. There are bipartisan solutions available that support the people working in oil and gas on federal lands as well as reduce carbon emissions.”
The Governor noted that Wyoming has led the nation in efforts to remove carbon emissions from the atmosphere and the administration’s actions stifle states like Wyoming that are actively pursuing efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and clean up the atmosphere.
“The lost jobs and revenue caused by this action inhibit Wyoming’s ability to invest in C02 capture and likewise the ability of the oil and gas industry to contribute to those projects,” Governor Gordon said. “In the longer run, Wyoming may find itself with no choice but to increase the costs of doing business on other energy sources to balance our budget.”
Governor Gordon has been reaching out to Governors of other Western states to discuss the impacts of this planned federal action.
