By Clinton E. Crackel, Energy Consultant

Clinton E. Crackel

September 16, 2023 - Thanks to the ever-increasing green energy push by the leftist Biden Administration, our nation is experiencing a drastic decline in our ability to be self sufficient in providing adequate energy to meet all current national energy demands. President Biden is actively exhausting our ability to rely on fossil fuels, and, no doubt, the intent is to eliminate our nation’s status as the world’s greatest industrialized country to benefit the increasing industrial capability of the Peoples Republic of China.

While the environmental leftists are destroying our energy independence, China is pursuing a massive construction program for building coal-fired and nuclear power plants to be able to meet a projected massive industrial electric energy demand. Without doubt, I’m confident the Chinese know the global warming scare tactic is basically a scam, not just to sell more green energy units, but to deliberately undermine our national industrial base in favor of China.

In 2022 alone, the Chinese government approved licensing 106 GW of new coal-fired generation capacity. Granted, China has massive coal reserves. So does India. So does the United States.

India has about 27 GW of coal-fired generating capacity under construction and had planned to have additional 24 GW of coal-fired generating capacity but has placed the proposed 24 GW coal-fired generating capacity on hold for five years. Let’s see how long that moratorium lasts once China gets up to full generating capacity.

Regarding petroleum, Biden recently cancelled the last oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge that were issued by the Trump administration, further restricting our access to domestic petroleum. Our petroleum imports now dramatically exceed our exports to the point where we now import 75% of our petroleum products. To make matters worse, Energy Secretary Granholm hasn’t replenished the oil recently drawn from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. 

According to industry experts, Secretary Granholm is not qualified to be secretary of energy, but she was the ideal candidate to assist the Biden Administration’s efforts to abolish the use of fossil fuels in our energy portfolio.

The EPA is now proposing implementing more stringent, expensive emissions controls for CO2 emissions for a variety of large trucks and buses, including truck-tractors. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg supports this action to promote the use of more EVs. If implemented, the costs of bringing our over-the-road fleet up to the new standards will be so costly that most small trucking companies, especially independents, will be forced out of business. This means the loss of potentially hundreds of thousands of jobs. 

The environmental left is now targeting natural gas and other carbon-based fuels. Bans on the residential use of natural gas have been initiated in California and New York. Although such bans appear to be restricted to new homes and business construction. New York has banned the use of gas stoves and furnaces in most new construction. Now U.S. regulators are considering banning the use of gas stoves.  Wait until hot water heaters must be electric, and burning wood and charcoal at home and while camping is banned.

With President Biden’s recent dedication to the Grand Canyon National Monument, access to a rich deposit uranium has been denied. Even though Biden proclaimed the creation of this national monument on behalf of the Navajo Nation, members of the Navajo Nation’s Council said they were not consulted beforehand. Also, Biden’s action on the new national monument forces us to have to purchase more bulk uranium from Russia.

Wind generation is on the rise despite its negative impact on the natural environment. Regardless of the inefficiency of these systems, many utilities and jurisdictions have converted heavily to wind because of massive infusions of subsidies and favorable tax breaks. Although many electric utility executives (especially in the investor-owned utility sector) and influential politicians may not know the inner workings of an electric utility, they do know the value of money. I can’t help but suspect little regard is given to the needs of the utility ratepayers when decisions are made to convert to green energy over more reliable sources of electrical generation.

The cost of labor continues to be a critical issue for international investors. What makes China so attractive is the fact that Chine utilizes cheap child labor and forced labor extensively. No doubt, the ongoing influx of illegal immigrants in this country is benefitting America’s employers in terms of providing a work force of cheap labor. Plus, they also make for cheap scab labor.

Many members of Congress want to expedite the resident status of our illegal immigrant population to be able to issue work permits to meet our need for additional labor. I have no doubt many of them are already employed in low-paying jobs by using forged work permits and are getting paid in cash with no benefits or payroll taxes deducted. Also, hundreds, if not thousands, of migrant children are now working in the agribusiness and industrial sectors, likely for less than minimum wage.

I have long suspected Joe Biden was elected to serve out Barack Obama’s third term in office to try to accomplish the pro-Marxist takeover of our nation by the anti-American left; and that Barack Obama is directing Biden’s political activities. Biden has proven himself to be an avid supporter of the left’s efforts to undermine the moral, social, and patriotic fabric of our nation to transform our constitutional republic into a totalitarian, Communist state, void of individual liberties and rights.

From my perspective, the ongoing anti-American, pro-Marxist activities are treasonous, and all the perpetrators of such activities should be held accountable for their treasonous acts. 

My greatest fear is that thousands of angry citizens will revisit Capitol Hill. However, this time they could be armed, and they won’t be firing rubber bullets. Also, the capitol building may not be the only target. Further, I neither suggest nor condone such an action. I just feel it might come to fruition considering the degree of unrest and anger on the part of millions of patriotic American citizens.

As a special disabled Vietnam era and Cold War veteran, Gold Star Father, and father of two living sons who are both special disabled veterans, I strongly urge all members of Congress to put their petty personal and political differences aside and take prompt legislative action to return our constitutional republic to its position of greatness and honor. America must be saved from the actions of the pro-Marxist left to turn it into a third-world, Communist state.