Declaring National Climate Emergency Would Be an Abuse of Power and Further Raise Energy Prices

Recent reports suggest President Biden is considering declaring a “national climate emergency” citing authority under the Defense Production Act to impose energy policy in the absence of Congressional action on the president’s climate agenda.

Director of CEI’s Center for Energy Environment Myron Ebell said:

“President Biden’s use of the Defense Production Act to declare a ‘national climate emergency’ would be a gross abuse of power. Congress designed the DPA to give the president the tools to address production bottlenecks and shortages that threaten our national security and emphatically not to allow the president to commandeer the economy to pursue his long-term policy priorities. If President Biden wants to take drastic climate action, he must ask Congress to enact legislation. Using the DPA to seize control of key parts of the energy sector would almost certainly have destructive effects on energy production and further raise prices. If you like what President Biden’s policies have already done to increase gas and diesel prices and electric rates, you’ll love his ‘national climate emergency.’”