Biden administration wants to poach coal workers for a green energy revolution

As Americans continue to suffer under the weight of high energy costs, the Biden administration is pressing on toward its goal of phasing out fossil fuels in America, releasing new plans to fast-track their green energy vision through billions in federal tax incentives and subsidies to "incentivize more clean energy investment in energy communities, particularly coal communities."

On Tuesday, the White House outlined its plans to entice coal workers with billions of dollars in bonuses and tax breaks if they cooperate with the Biden climate change agenda by enlisting in renewable energy projects such as building solar farms on current and former coal properties.

"The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service today is releasing detailed guidance that will allow developers of clean energy projects and facilities to take advantage of billions in bonuses on top of the investment and production tax credits," the release said. These bonuses and tax credits will be provided via the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed by Congress last year and which the Congressional Budget Office predicted would have "negligible effect on inflation."

Also included in the plan was $450 million in Energy Department spending under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to "repurpose" large areas of mining land for "clean energy projects" in order to "generate up to 90 GW of clean energy — enough to power nearly 30 million American homes," they claimed.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm made it clear that the Biden administration wants to effectively poach fossil fuel workers — both current and former — for the push towards a green energy future.

"The workers who powered the last century of industry and innovation can power the next one," she said to reporters.

The climate change-motivated announcement was billed by the Biden team as part of a mission to "Revitalize Energy Communities" and "Support Coal Workers" by awarding them massive bonuses and tax credits for weaning off of fossil fuels and furthering the Biden administration's climate agenda.  

Despite the administration billing the announcement as a win for coal workers, however, many fear this is just the next step in Biden's plan to "[shut coal] plants down all across America," something he vowed to do back in November, drawing the ire of West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, who referred to Biden's comments as being "outrageous and divorced from reality," adding that the president ought to "learn a lesson."

Manchin's advice notwithstanding, Biden has redoubled his attacks on the fossil fuel industry. In the Tuesday release, for example, the White House said that the nearly 18,000 coal mining sites in America "expose local populations to harmful pollutants and contaminate the air, land, and water quality in the surrounding areas." 

This White House announcement condemning fossil fuels came just days after Saudi Arabia and other OPEC+ countries announced massive cuts to oil production, a move that drove crude prices up 8% on Monday, a move that is certain to bring turmoil to the Biden administration as analysts predict rising gas prices are on the horizon once more. 

At one point under the current administration, a gallon of gas in America was $2.47 higher than it was during the Trump administration. Though the price at the pump has cooled since then, a gallon still remains $1.35 more today than on Biden's first day in office.