Congressman Phil Roe: Last Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rolled out sweeping new regulations to reduce the amount of sulfur in gasoline. According to EPA, these rules would be the equivalent of taking 33 million automobiles off the road. While this looks good on paper, it could have devastating effects on hardworking American families.
According to an American Petroleum Institute study, reducing sulfur in fuel will cost refineries billions – costs that will be passed on to the consumer – and could cause the cost of gas to go up nearly 10 cents a gallon in some places. At a time when American families are already struggling to make ends meet, the last thing we need is another increase in gas prices. The study also found that if the EPA were to move forward with another discussed regulation known as the vapor reduction regulation, costs could rise as much as 25 cents per gallon. This is nonsensical.
These burdensome regulations are even more harmful because of the administration’s unwillingness to pursue new sources of domestic energy that would ease the pain at the pump. We must work toward energy independence by pursing a true all-of-the-above energy policy. We must pursue new supplies of available, affordable energy, including oil, natural gas, nuclear and coal. At the same time, we should continue to develop renewable energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal. And while we’re at it, let’s approve the Keystone pipeline.
Seventy percent of Americans say they support building the Keystone XL pipeline—including 57 percent of Democrats. In fact, the Senate gave a strong endorsement to the deal by voting 78 to 20 in favor of the project. Still, President Obama has yet to give this project the green light, opting to put the demands of environmentalists ahead of the needs of working Americans.
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