Home heat during winter months is a necessity. Recently, leftist politicians pushing bad ideas and inferior technologies have undermined the ability of our energy systems to meet this vital need.
Everyone loves the party game/icebreaker “Two Truths and a Lie.” Can you identify which of the following three statements about home heat and energy is NOT true?
A. America leads the world in overall emissions reductions because of advancements in the oil and gas industry.
B. The main energy sources for home heat include electricity, natural gas, propane, and heating oil.
C. The increase in winter heating bills this season is due to colder temperatures.
A. True! Proponents of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing argue that investment and credit should shift away from fossil energy companies. They ignore that the U.S. continues to lead the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental health because of innovation in the oil and gas industry. This industry currently provides 80% of the energy we need to fuel our economy and modern way of life. To date, the most successful technologies in reducing overall emissions have been hydraulic fracturing alongside advanced pollution control systems used across all energy sectors.
B. True! The latest census reveals that 48% of the country relies on natural gas for home heat, 39% relies on electricity, and the remaining relies on a variety of propane, fuel or heating oil, wood (referred to as biomass), and solar. Policies that distort energy markets by applying funding and regulatory pressures to boost the development of wind and solar ignore their unreliable nature and high costs. There is a role for wind and solar energy as well as other renewables in our energy grid. But these technologies work better as supplemental power, not wholesale replacements to coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear that provide a constant, dependable, and predictable source of power referred to as baseload energy.
C. False! Across the nation, families will spend $14.1 billion more on home heating costs this winter. Compared to the winter season of 2020-2021, American households are projected to spend 28% more on natural gas, 27% more on heating oil, 10% more on electricity, and 5% more on propane. This is not because of colder temperatures than usual, but rather the problem is that the upkeep and investment of our energy grid are now guided by politics instead of engineering assessments and technical reality. Leftists at the local, state, and national levels have continually prioritized the wants of politically-connected activists over the needs of the American people.
Bottom Line:
We have the technology and wherewithal to reliably and affordably deliver home heat to all Americans, regardless of the weather. Because of this, we do not have to choose between a robust energy industry that delivers stable, affordable energy and a lower emissions future. We need to strengthen our energy grid with proven technologies while encouraging continued innovation. Thoughtful policies aligned with this theme will produce a cleaner environment and growing economy while avoiding the range of current consequences.
To learn more about expensive heat and energy policy, read this month’s Policy Focus HERE.