One Biden Nominee Acknowledges Importance of Fossil Fuels in U.S. Energy Mix

Under fire from GOP critics for her opposition to hydraulic fracturing and her other anti-fossil fuel positions, President Biden’s Interior Secretary nominee Deb Haaland acknowledged the importance of fossil fuels in the U.S. energy mix in written testimony for her February 22 nomination hearing. “There’s no question that fossil energy does and will continue to play a major role in America for years to come,” Haaland said in testimony released ahead of her Senate hearing. Haaland said she recognizes that oil and gas revenues fund important services “but we must also recognize that the energy industry is innovating, and our climate challenge must be addressed.”