by Emily Greene | March 20, 2024

President Biden and Senator Casey decided it was in our best interest to close the nations pipelines. Our entire economy, specifically, the value of our dollar, is based off energy production. It lends itself to the question: are these leaders unaware of the impact that their energy policy has on taxpayers? If they are, this should send a chill down the spine of every Pennsylvanian.

Just last week in the commonwealth, Governor Shapiro proposed bringing Gavin Newsome’s California-style hammer down on Pennsylvanians with more cap-and-tax policy that would further obliterate Pennsylvania’s economy by taxing out of existence what production we have left. Keep in mind, these policies don’t just effect oil, natural gas, and coal companies—rather, they effect the companies that use the resources to produce goods, the trucking and rail companies that ship them, the mom-and-pop store owners who sell products and, ultimately, you, the consumer, who pays the taxes incurred by all of the aforementioned. To be blunt, the Governor intends to fight inflation by creating more artificial inflation.

Both the administrations in DC and Harrisburg have set these crushing energy policies in the name of climate change. Of course, we all want clean water, clean air and healthy forestry, but we can certainly have all of those things while still being able to purchase the fuel and energy to travel to work or heat our homes. Our government seems to believe that they can solve the world’s problems by throwing thousands, billions, and even trillions of dollars at the problem. However, we know that has detrimental impact on the taxpayer, who ultimately bears the burden of greater taxation and inflation.

Federal and state governments should start with the basics: make the permitting process straightforward, without unfounded interference from bureaucracies like the EPA or DEP who can simply put permits on a desk for years on end with the sole intent of slowing production. In Harrisburg, the legislature should intervene on state cap-and-tax policies such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. These so-called treaties only siphon more of your hard-earned tax dollars into a never-ending spending machine of bureaucratic nonsense.

We’ll start with the bad news first: President Joe Biden and Governor Josh Shapiro remain out-of-touch when it comes to their approach to energy policies. But here’s the good news: tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians have joined our coalition to fight back against big government interfering with our energy production and consumption. Hundreds of concerned activists each day scale their voices, because they know that prosperity is possible, and it can be achieved through common-sense free market reform. Here’s how we do it.

  1. Minimizing Government Influence: Reduce government control over our lives and foster environment of self-reliance and individual empowerment.
  2. Promote Affordable Energy for All: Washington and Harrisburg need to recognize the strain of energy costs on families, and aim to create policies that ensure affordable energy solutions accessible to every household. We can achieve this through accountability measures.
  3. Removing Restrictions: Remove domestic energy restrictions that limit supply, drive up fuel prices, and hinder overall economic growth.

We need a drastic change in approach towards energy policy here in the commonwealth, one that allows for energy innovation. This radical push from President Biden, Senator Casey and Governor Shapiro will do nothing of the like. Now is the time to fight back. Head to ProsperityIsPossible.com to encourage Washington and Harrisburg alike to hear the concerns of Pennsylvania’s residents and take action to right the wrongs of this administration.