Common Sense Energy: Happy *Almost* Independence Day!

President Biden has seemingly returned to planet earth for the time being, after initially proposing a $2.3 trillion-plus infrastructure plan the Wall Street Journal called “The Green New Deal, in disguise.

Biden’s initial $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal only included $621 billion for transportation infrastructure.  But common sense has seemingly prevailed with the recently announced bipartisan transportation bill omitting Biden’s extreme climate change measures.  Instead, it includes reasonable measures that are actually sustainable, unlike the Green New Deal.

New York Times: The deal does provide funding for public transit, passenger and freight rail, electric buses and charging stations for electric vehicles, all designed to try to reduce pollution from passenger vehicles and trucks. And it includes $47 billion to help communities become more resilient to disasters and severe weather caused by a warming planet.

Still, it contains few of the ambitious ideas that Mr. Biden initially proposed to cut the fossil fuel pollution that is driving climate change.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki needs to get outside of the DC bubble more often.  She tried defending President Biden’s infrastructure plan by saying it would lead to a half million car charging in stations in rural and disadvantaged communities.

Psaki’s disconnect with the real world outside of Washington, DC is laughable.

Western Journal: It should be noted that the average electric car costs around $55,600, and they are best utilized in cities. It is not clear how disadvantaged communities could afford them or why rural residents would be interested in purchasing them.

With an average range of 2020 models around 250 miles, electric vehicles aren’t a good solution for rural residents who may drive long distances to shop, drop kids off at school or visit relatives and friends.

That is why the vast majority of EV ownership is concentrated around large cities.

Gas prices are hitting a 7-year high heading into July 4th weekend.

New York Post: The nationwide average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas hit $3.09 on Monday, the highest price Americans have been asked to shell out ahead of the holiday weekend since 2014, according to data from the American Automobile Association.

AAA forecasts that 43.6 million Americans will travel by car this weekend — the most so far this year.

Americans are paying 43% more for gasoline now than they were a year ago. The current national average is $3.12/gallon. It was $2.18/gallon one year ago.

On this day in 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the resolution of Richard Henry Lee that read, “these United Colonies are, and of right out to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and out to be, totally dissolved.” 

Some of the founders, including John Adams, believed July 2nd would be the date the country would celebrate its independence. Regarding the holiday, Adams wrote, “[Independence Day] will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.”

So, happy alternative Independence Day! On this historic weekend of monumental importance, The Empowerment Alliance renews its commitment to fighting for, restoring, and protecting American Energy Independence. We view national energy independence as a component of the greater freedom and independence that our Founding Fathers described while laying out the principles of our great Republic.