“Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man,” President Ronald Reagan once said.
That statement is certainly true, as Americans now know after living through the Biden administration. Our national debt rose a staggering $7.9 trillion during Biden’s tenure. Reckless out-of-control spending led to runaway inflation at levels not seen since the Carter era. Have you seen the cost of bacon?
A recent memorandum report by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability revealed that American households now spend over $11,400 more each year just to maintain the quality of life they had in January 2021. Bidenomics failed the American people.
But before fiscal apologists try blaming Covid, Russia, or mean ol’ Trump, let’s look at the signature bill Biden passed in his tenure as president — the hilariously named Inflation Reduction Act.
Sounds great! Who wouldn’t want to reduce inflation?
Spending climbed with renewed versions of the Green New Deal. But these blue policies equal a Green New Steal.
Democrats in D.C. had no intention to turn down the temperature on inflation. In fact, they did the opposite. Increased government spending was really nothing more than camouflage to enact the radical left’s Green New Deal global warming scheme.
President Biden himself admitted in September 2024, while making a green energy announcement in Wisconsin: “I’m proud to announce that my, uh, my investments, that through my investments, the most significant climate change law ever. And by the way, it is a $369 billion bill. It’s called the – uh, we, we should have named it what it was.” [Emphasis added.]
“We should have named it what it was.” I almost agree with Biden. Almost. Blue states glommed onto federal dollars for green policies, but the “Green New Steal” is what the American public got.
Americans found out the hard way that when hundreds of billions of dollars are inefficiently slammed into the economy, inflation will go through the roof, not come down. The results have been catastrophic for Americans. According to Bidenomics.com, “[E]nergy costs are up 39% … home heating oil is up 44%, gasoline is up 48%, electricity is up 29%, and natural gas is up 27%.” Farm-to-market costs increased. Life got more expensive. Again, have you seen the cost of bacon?
The erroneously named Inflation Reduction Act caused massive damage by paving the way for extreme government intrusion into our nation’s energy sector at the federal level. But what the states have done with it is most telling.
A recent report from the Heritage Foundation did a deep dive into energy prices in red states versus blue states. The results are jarring. Eight out of the top 10 states with the highest energy costs are controlled by Democrats. Eight out of 10. Let that sink in.
Compare that to red states. Of the 25 states with the lowest energy costs, 22 are controlled by Republicans. The numbers speak for themselves.
The Heritage Foundation report cites three key takeaways that help explain why energy in some states costs more than others:
1. “States with renewable energy mandates tend to pay significantly more for electricity as a result of increasing the cost of natural gas and coal power.”
2. “Many of the states with the most affordable electricity have repudiated stringent renewable energy mandates and instead rely heavily on traditional energy sources.”
3. “The forced shift toward renewable energy, combined with federal policies to reduce fossil fuel use, has raised costs for grid operators—and households—nationwide.”
I’m a strong believer in federalism. The 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reserves powers and authorities to the states. I get that. So, if California wants to pursue liberal green policies that result in frequent rolling blackouts and run their citizens’ monthly power bills through the roof, they have every right to do so.
But when the Biden administration, through efforts like the Inflation Reduction Act, tries to force red states like Alabama to enact mandates leading to higher energy costs, we have a problem. Blue policies = Green New Steal.
In contrast to Biden’s policies and those of states like California, Alabama is one of those red states that follows the common sense, all-of-the-above approach.
As a former State Senator, I distinctly recall fighting the implementation of a massive green energy wind farm that would have used major Obama-era subsidies, destroyed farmland, and done nothing to support the reliability and affordability of power for my constituents. We won that battle. But the Green New Steal is back.
Thankfully Alabama has not succumbed to the impulse of hastily implemented renewable energy mandates without considering the negative impacts. Grid reliability and consumer costs should always be the top two considerations. The Alabama Public Service Commission has prioritized a strategy that requires an all-of-the-above approach. That’s why we see our own utility companies maintaining natural gas, coal, nuclear, and modest amounts of renewable energy in the overall portfolio. It’s about stability and cost.
Blue states jumped on the Green New Steal bandwagon expanding renewables at any cost. Red states, like Alabama, kept our wits about us. Maintaining what is referred to as baseload power is much easier when all the eggs are not in one big green basket. That’s why natural gas and nuclear energy remain cornerstones of Alabama's energy mix, and blue states would be wise to heed our example.
Every Alabamian has suffered the effects of high inflation thanks to the Biden administration’s failed green energy policies. But changes are coming with the new administration and Alabama leadership is poised for greater success than our blue-state neighbors. Blue policies = Green New Steal.
To contact Phil or request him for a speaking engagement, go to www.rightsideradio.org.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
