Granholm defends support for gas pipeline, citing energy security

The remarks underscore the Biden administration’s balancing act in meeting its goals of ending carbon pollution from fossil fuels while acknowledging the continued role of the oil and gas industry in the economy.

The secretary’s remarks were disrupted by a handful of protesters who rushed toward the stage, shouting variations of “no MVP” and “Granholm, you are killing me.”

In response to a later question on the Biden administration’s support for sending natural gas abroad to help U.S. allies cope with market disruptions from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Granholm acknowledged the trade-offs.

“To the point of the protesters here, these are really hard decisions,” she said. “We are in this transition. We want to be able to ensure that our allies can turn on the lights.”

The secretary said the U.S. has an abundance of natural gas and is going to be “a friend” to its allies, while also working with them to accelerate the transition to clean energy sources.

“Everybody recognizes we’re in this interim period that we do not want to be in for long,” she said.