Wrong.
The Biden Administration's impact on oil and gas
Energy Alert
Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance Alert
18 February 2021By:
After merely one month in office, the Biden Administration has already had a profound impact on the oil and gas industry. Having promised to prioritize climate change on the campaign trail, President Biden has taken swift action, signing executive orders aimed at everything from curbing emissions to environmental justice.
While the Biden Administration’s 60-day halt on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and the cancellation of the Keystone XL Pipeline have received the majority of press coverage, the Administration’s actions have also had both direct and indirect impacts on oil and gas companies. These actions include: (1) an order directing federal agencies to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels; (2) reversing the Trump Administration’s rollback on methane regulations; and (3) staffing the SEC in preparation to mandate ESG and climate disclosures. While these changes primarily aim to reduce the nation’s carbon footprint, they will also add an additional layer of regulations for oil and gas operations and will sharpen public attention on oil and gas companies.
- Stop maintaining shipping lanes on rivers. The federal government spends over $700 million each year constructing and maintaining shipping lanes on rivers, which are often used for the transportation of oil and gas. Under President Biden, the federal government may require companies, including heavy users such as oil and gas companies, to fund all or a portion of the construction and maintenance of these shipping lanes.
Conclusion
President Biden has thus far followed through on his campaign promise to prioritize climate change. While his actions to pause drilling on federal land and reenter the Paris Climate Accord have received much attention, his early executive orders, hiring decisions and public statements indicate that even greater change is coming to the oil and gas industry. While many of the Biden Administration’s regulatory changes will take time to implement, oil and gas companies should begin preparing now for their likely arrival.
Thats just a few moves in his first couple weeks.