Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) put increased pressure on private- and public-sector entities who he said need to work quickly to reduce soaring energy prices.
The Senator’s impatience manifested itself in interviews and hearings over the past week.
As reported by Fox News, Manchin was critical of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its commissioner, Richard Glick, who Manchin intimated were too slow in processing stalled projects that would, if completed, alleviate some of the pain energy costs are inflicting on Americans.
Manchin accused government agencies of “throwing so many more obstacles” rather than expeditiously working for solutions.
When Glick defended his department’s meticulous processes, Manchin told reporters, “Well, speak up and help us, Mr. Chairman Glick. Speak up and help us.” Manchin later added, “I’m not saying push them through quickly, just do your damn job, that’s all I told him.”
Thursday, during a Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, of which Manchin is chair, the West Virginia senator urged speed.
“I’m calling on industry – and the shareholders – to invest and put production before profits,” Manchin said during his opening remarks. “We need you to ramp up on those existing leases and with those existing permits because that’s the fastest thing we can do.
“But industry also needs signals from the Administration that they will support oil and gas development and production.”
Manchin was also critical of the Biden Administration for not prioritizing a plan for energy exploration and production in the Gulf of Mexico and what he called a “short-sighted approach” to energy leasing.
“The Administration’s failure to act on the five-year plan, combined with a failure to appeal the vacated lease sale, means that we’re almost certainly looking at no offshore lease sales until sometime next year, to say nothing about the failure to hold onshore sales,” Manchin said.
Of Biden’s pause on leasing, Manchin said, “It is well past time for the pause to end – for well drillers and the Administration to move forward.”