From the time Joe Biden hit the campaign trail before becoming president, he pledged that he would eliminate fossil fuels as much as possible as a source of energy for the nation. He boldly stated at one point that he would close coal plants across the country.
His plan is to replace fossil fuels with “green energy” such as solar and wind sources that liberals believe can power the world without fossil fuels which, ironically, are used in those energy sources. Biden has become known as a president who will work legal angles or bureaucratic processes to get his way.
Biden’s questionable methodology in government practices was recently exposed by a major news outlet. Biden’s administration knows how to work the “alphabet offices” to get what he wants. Fox News Digital uncovered within federal internal documents a bureaucratic lease scheme that affects taxpayers.
From Fox News:
The Biden administration quietly granted a request from an energy firm developing an offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts to waive development fees designed to safeguard taxpayers.
Federal statute mandates that developers pay a fee prior to construction on their lease, a potentially hefty fee designed to guarantee federal property is returned to its original state after a lessee departs its lease. In this case, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) informed Vineyard Wind that it had waived a financial assurance for decommissioning costs fee in a June 15, 2021, letter obtained by watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT).
That means the “green energy” project was getting a better consideration on fees than a what a fossil fuel developer, such as oil or gas, might receive for a lease.
PPT Director Michael Chamberlain explained that “at the same time the Department of the Interior was looking at forcing greater and more expensive bonding requirements on holders of long-standing oil and gas leases, they were relaxing these requirements on the nation’s first utility-scale offshore wind energy producer.”
Chamberlain made a further connection in the deal that connects to former Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beadreau, the second-highest ranked official at the Department of the Interior (DOI) which houses BOEM. Chamberlain noted that, according to his 2021 financial disclosure form, previously represented Vineyard Wind on legal matters while serving as a partner at the firm Latham & Watkins.
One week after BOEM approved Vineyard Wind’s request to waive the development fee, according to Fox News Digital, Beaudreau departed Latham & Watkins and was sworn in at DOI. He left the department in October for another firm.
“For an administration touting itself as the most ethical in history, this represents yet another incident in which Secretary (Deb) Haaland’s Interior appears to have a tough time living up to that standard,” Chamberlain said.
While Biden’s administration continues to push for a goal of goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, federal requirements keep stacking up against fossil fuel developers. Despite waiving development fees associated with green energy production, the DOI unveiled a plan in July to revise bonding requirements, royalty rates, and minimum bids for onshore fossil fuel leasing, according to Fox News. This action will raise costs for developers.
Key Takeaways:
- Internal federal documents reveal Biden’s efforts to favor “clean energy.”
- Major news outlet exposes agreement that cuts costs for favored projects.
- Fossil fuel developers get hit with higher costs for getting federal approval.
Source: Fox News
