MIDLAND, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is lashing out against what he called a hostile attack launched from Washington, D.C. against the oil and gas industry.
During a roundtable energy discussion in Midland, the governor said the Biden administration's plan to impose new limits on oil and gas exploration would be a job killer for Texas.
The governor says Texas is ready to use the courts to fight any Biden administration efforts that Abbott says would threaten energy sector jobs.
To underscore that statement, the governor signed an executive order that orders every state agency to use all lawful powers to fight anything that challenges the energy industry in Texas.
Abbott says hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in taxes and royalties are at stake. He says regulatory overreach would not only damage the state's economy, but would also have a national impact.
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced a series of executive orders they say protect the environment. The White House said that the president is "leading a clean energy revolution that achieves a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and puts the United States on an irreversible path to a net-zero economy by 2050."
The White House disputes that a shift from carbon-based fuels to renewable resources will cost jobs.
"It's going to benefit jobs, it's going to benefit our health and it's going to lead to that future we want to hand to our children," said Gina McCarthy, White House national climate adviser.
Abbott also spoke out against what he called the Biden administration's embracing of Green New Deal policies.
Abbott also warned that some state and local governments are also acting to derail the oil and gas industry.
He cited a ban in San Francisco on natural gas in new buildings.
Abbott said the state will not allow any Texas city to use what he called "political correctness" to dictate what energy source can be used.
He says he would support any legislation that prohibits cities and counties from banning the use of natural gas in homes.
The governor said there will be no Green New Deal policy in Texas and he will veto any such legislation that comes to his desk.
This article was written by José Luis Martínez for KRIS.
