Intellectual Ammunition to keep Build Back Better dead

While energy advocates should be thrilled by Joe Manchin’s death blow to “Build Back Better” as we know it, we cannot assume that all or even most of BBB’s anti-energy policies will stay dead.

My number one messaging priority during the second half of 2021 has been to fight against the budget reconciliation bill now known as “Build Back Better”—which I have argued would destroy American energy as we know it. In the last two months, I have appealed publicly many times to West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, the one person who had both the power to stop BBB and a seeming openness to stopping it.

Most recently, I wrote (and Tweeted) an Open Letter to Manchin explaining to him as unequivocally as I could that any action other than killing this bill would destroy the West Virginia economy.

Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein

Dear @Sen_JoeManchin, The "Build Back Better" legislation you are considering will be an unmitigated disaster for the West Virginia energy industry and economy. No handful of compromises will change this. Any vote other than no will do irreparable damage to your state. THREAD

Thank you to the many, many people who shared this letter with Senator Manchin. It’s possible that you contributed to last Sunday’s wonderful announcement by Manchin that “I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t.”

The comments of Manchin’s that I found most heartening were those that recognized Build Back Better’s dangers to American energy in general and West Virginia energy in particular:

• “The main thing that we need is dependability and reliability. If not, you'll have what happened in Texas and what happens in California.”

• “And we should not have to depend on other parts of the world to give us the energy or be able to hold us hostage for the energy or the foreign supply chains that we need for the products we use every day.”

• “I've always said this, Bret, if I can't go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can't vote for it.”

While lovers of freedom and energy should be thrilled by Manchin’s death blow to “Build Back Better” as we know it, we cannot assume that all or even most of BBB’s anti-energy policies will stay dead.

There is a distinct possibility that Congress will pass its myriad mandates of unreliable solar and wind, and increasing restrictions on reliable fossil fuels, in some stripped-down form. There is also the extreme likelihood that the Administration will use/abuse its executive power to try to dictatorially mandate many of the anti-energy provisions of Build Back Better.

Thus, advocates of energy and freedom need to be fully armed against all the essential anti-energy policies of Build Back Better (aka “the reconciliation bill”).

Here’s a stockpile of intellectual ammunition against Build Back Better for whatever battles we face going forward.

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• Here's why Build Back Better's goal of 80% "clean electricity" by 2030 would mean going from 12% unreliable solar+wind to a catastrophic 50% solar+wind in 8 years.

Talking Points on the reconciliation bill, part 1: "80% clean electricity by 2030"

• Here's why Build Back Better's 10-year extension and increase of solar and wind subsidies would drive more and more reliable power plants off the grid, lead to skyrocketing prices and frequent blackouts.

Talking Points on the reconciliation bill, part 2: the 10-year extension of solar and wind subsidies

• Here's why Build Back Better's increase of EV subsidies to $12,500/car would loot the middle class, overload our grid, and make us even more dependent on China—all with little effect on CO2 emissions.

Talking Points on the reconciliation bill, part 3: EV subsidies

• Here’s how Build Back Better would not create prosperity via magic "green jobs" but rather cause mass “green joblessness”—because “green jobs” are: 1) unproductive, 2) largely in China, and 3) the cause of job losses in other industries via high energy prices.

Talking Points on how the reconciliation bill will create mass "green joblessness"

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I am so happy to be able to end the year without the pall of Build Back Better’s fossil fuel-restricting, solar-and-wind-mandating policies ruining America’s energy industry—the way that they are ruining Europe’s energy industry and therefore many other industries.

Alex Epstein @AlexEpstein

Energy is the industry that powers every other industry. The lower cost and more reliable energy is, the lower cost and more reliable everything is. The higher cost and less reliable energy is, the higher cost and less reliable everything is.

Stephen Stapczynski @SStapczynski

Europe’s factories are shutting down since they can’t afford high energy costs 🏭 🇫🇷 Aluminium Dunkerque Industries France cut production in the past 2 weeks due to record power rates 🇷🇴 Romanian fertilizer producer Azomures temporarily halted output https://t.co/f880awKamc

Thanks to everyone who has read and shared the Energy Talking Points newsletter in its first few months. I believe you can make a big difference by sharing this newsletter as well as its sister site, EnergyTalkingPoints.com—where you can quickly search for and find great talking points on almost any energy, environmental, or climate issue.

Both these resources are not only powerful but also free, so please share them frequently.

—Alex