The Colonial Pipeline Cyberattack Serves as a Warning to Protect Our Existing Energy Infrastructure

May 13, 2021

The cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that caused the 5,500 mile pipeline to shut down has wreaked havoc on the gas supplies along the East Coast. The pipeline as of yesterday afternoon is now back online and running but is expected to still “take several days” to fully return to normal, the company said in a statement. This attack is a reminder that the United States needs to put a stronger focus on protecting our existing energy infrastructure from foreign enemies and hackers, instead of pushing ‘Green New Deal’ policies.

The closing of the pipeline posed a fresh set of risks to a presidency still in its early stages. Even worse, President Biden canceled the Keystone Pipeline his first day in office. A very controversial call that confirmed Biden’s campaign promises to go big on climate, immediately laying off 11,000 American workers and stopping a vital infrastructure project needed in this country. If the necessity of that project wasn’t seen before, it definitely is resonating with American citizens now.

According to the Associated Press, “The president said he expects the pipeline to resume normal operations by next week and stressed the importance of improving the durability of U.S. infrastructure as part of his $2.3 trillion jobs plan.”

Ironic President Biden chose this moment to tie in and push his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. A plan that only has 25% of funding going toward actual infrastructure. The majority of funding in Biden’s ‘infrastructure’ plan goes toward ‘Green New Deal’ policies, instead of focusing on our existing energy infrastructure that desperately needs funding to secure against threats from foreign enemies and hackers.

The article concluded:

Key ways for Biden to respond have included showing he understands how rising gas prices can hurt family budgets as well as moving quickly to help fix the pipeline problem.

“It’s important for the president to show empathy and recognize the position that the average American is in vis-à-vis gas prices,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. “Gas prices are something that don’t affect the elite — and our politicians are all among the elite.”

We hope this does serve as a reminder to President Biden that average Americans can’t afford high energy costs. Instead of attack the fossil fuel industry that has significantly reduced emissions while providing reliable and affordable energy to American households, President Biden should be doing everything in his power to protect the vital industry.