During the presidential campaign, President Joe Biden was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is... [+] one the swing states that could be affected by Biden's climate and energy policies. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images). Getty ImagesBiden's progressive climate change agenda runs into multiple obstacles in Congress, the courts and in the energy markets.Before rising energy prices completely destroy his political hopes, the President needs to pay attention.Simply put, Bidens promise to reduce U.S. greenhouse gases emissions by 50% by 2030 and create a carbon-free electricity system by 2035 seems too ambitious given the slim majority of Democrats in Congress and America's importance to the economy.After states like Mississippi, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas challenged the controversial plan to stop new oil and gas leases in federal lands, a district court rejected it.It was also unsuccessful in securing the passage of the majority of its climate initiatives to lower emissions into a bipartisan infrastructure bill worth $973 billion. These plans are now being advanced by the reconciliation procedure. This allows Congress to pass budget-related issues through a simple Senate majority. It avoids the 60-vote supermajority required by filibuster rules. This could prove to be a disaster as Republicans are threatening to renege on the infrastructure agreement if Biden gets too passionate about climate during reconciliation.Given the misgivings of Democratic Senators Joe Manchin from West Virginia and Kyrsten Silema of Arizona, even a modest climate program won't get 51 votes in the Senate. Both Democrats are reluctant to vote for reconciliation bills that lack Republican support. Manchin, a representative of a state that is coal-rich, will not support a plan to reduce demand for coal like the Biden administration's clean energy standard.You can also see the limits of Biden's power at the local level.Many states are taking a more cautious stance regarding local restrictions that could negatively impact oil and gas development. At least nine states have passed measures that prohibit municipalities and local governments to ban natural gas connections in existing and new buildings. Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri and Utah are also considering similar legislation. These two states are home to the massive Marcellus Shale gas production and also serve as crucial swing states in national elections.States looking to protect their oil and gas industries are increasingly turning to divestment strategies. Texas legislators introduced a bill that would force state funds to stop investing in funds that discriminate against fossil fuels.Oil prices have continued to rise under Bidens' watch, as traders worry about a shortage of oil due to low investment in the industry under an administration hostile towards fossil fuels. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI), which is traded at $75 per barrel, is feared by many oil executives as it could reach $100.A cutting impoundment and vertical natural gas drilling rig can be seen in Chartiers Township. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Bloomberg Finance LPThis is the market's way of saying more supply is required. The U.S. shale oil producers have been an important supplier to global oil markets in the past, but they may be unable to meet the rising energy transition pressures, including the Washington policies.All of this pushback indicates that Biden's climate agenda is an enormous overreach.Many Americans don't realize the magnitude of the problem. Biden cannot achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 if it only attacks coal and cleans up the power sector. It must also tackle the transportation sector which accounts for about 30% of domestic emissions. This means increasing gasoline and diesel consumption.Even if U.S utilities stop burning coal completely, meeting Bidens goals could mean the equivalent of 6 million barrels per day reduction in oil consumption by 2030, according to Philip Verleger, an oil economist.Consultancy Rystad Energy has developed a U.S. roadmap to reduce emissions by 50 percent and reached a similar conclusion. The scenario calls for a 32 percent reduction in U.S. oil consumption compared to the 2021 levels of 19,000,000 barrels per day or 6.08 million barrels per day.This is not an energy transition, it's a revolution. It assumes that electrification will happen at a rate that is unrealistically slow. For instance, Verlerger says that it would require a 55% drop in gasoline consumption and a 35% reduction in diesel usage starting in 2019.It is important to have some perspective. In the United States, only 2 percent of new cars were electric in the last three years.Photo by: STRF/STAR Max/IPx 2021 06/20/21 Rising gas prices due to progressive energy policies... [+] could be a problem leading up the 2022 midterms. This is an EXXON station in South Orange, New Jersey. STRF/STAR MAX/IPxThis could explain why the Biden administration is so optimistic about rising oil prices. Higher gasoline prices might make EVs more attractive to consumers. The pump prices are at their highest point in six years, comfortably above $3 per gallon.Rising energy prices are a recipe to disaster at the polls. Biden will have to read what is written on American walls if he wants to keep the Democrats' slim majority in Congress in 2022 and hope to get re-elected in 2024.
