CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in calling upon President Joe Biden to support additional energy infrastructure following the Colonial pipeline shutdown, which caused price spikes, fuel shortages and lines at gasoline stations across southern and eastern states.
The coalition, in a letter sent May 17, detailed what it called the harm caused by Biden’s efforts to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and urged him to put Americans’ national security and the environment first.
“Americans depend upon safe and secure energy supplies, which is why we must build and maintain robust energy infrastructure that is resilient in the face of accidents and sabotage,” Morrisey joined in writing. “A temporary shutdown of one pipeline’s full-capacity operations shouldn’t bring half the country to the brink.
Morrisey
"We need more safe and clean energy sources.”
The letter claims recent issues with the Colonial pipeline show the widespread panic and disruption that can result when just one pipeline system goes offline. It also notes how the Biden administration was able to quickly relax rules to secure energy supply chains, alleviate shortages and avoid potential supply disruptions to the affected communities.
The letter argues additional energy infrastructure is needed to maintain the nation’s leadership as a net-energy exporter – a position that enhances national security, increases global stability and creates good-paying jobs for American workers.
The letter also takes issue with Biden’s unilateral decision to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office even though the Obama administration concluded multiple times that the project was a net positive for the economy, the environment and energy security. It further notes Biden’s energy secretary just days ago acknowledged the benefits pipelines offer in transporting fossil fuels.
West Virginia joined the Montana- and Texas-led letter with the attorneys general of Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming.
West Virginia is also a part of 21-state coalition currently suing the Biden administration over its revocation of the Keystone cross-border permit.
