ANESVILLE, WI— Today, Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan ahead of the EPA Administrator’s visit to Salem, WI tomorrow.
“Since the start of the Biden Administration, the EPA has pursued policies that are leading to energy scarcity and higher prices. In the last year, gasoline prices have increased 48%, electricity 11%, and piped gas up 21.6%. I hope the EPA Administrator will address the challenges Americans are facing while in Salem tomorrow and discuss the actions this Administration will take to lower costs.”
The letter reads:
Administrator Regan,
I was encouraged to learn of your planned visit to Kenosha County tomorrow. While you are here, I respectfully urge you to spend time listening to working families and seniors in our region. If you do, you will surely hear concerns about higher prices, including the high price of gasoline and home energy costs. For Wisconsin families, gas and home heat are necessities, and there is no escaping their high price right now. To that end, I ask you to explain what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is doing to reverse your Administration’s policies that have contributed to these price spikes.
Since the start of the Biden Administration, the EPA has pursued policies that will lead to energy scarcity and higher prices. These include the New Source Performance Standards for the Oil and Natural Gas Sector (November 15, 2021, EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0317) and the revocation of a 2020 policy regarding power plants (February 9, 2022, EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794-4581). Both threaten to raise the cost of oil and gas production and transmission and power generation. Just as importantly, they send a message to American producers that discourages investment here.
More broadly, your administration has also pursued a concerning international energy agenda. Specifically, the Biden Administration has agreed to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and on its very first day in office, chose to terminate the Keystone Pipeline project. Both actions will increase our reliance on hostile and unstable countries like Russia and contribute to higher prices.
Gasoline prices are up 48 percent since last March, electricity prices are up 11 percent, and natural gas is up 21.6 percent. American families are feeling the pain of high energy costs and they demand action from Washington. I look forward to your explanation of how the EPA plans to help address this challenge.
To read the full text of the letter, click here.
