By Charles Boothe, Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said Wednesday the decision by OPEC Plus (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) to slash oil production by 2 million barrels a day is all the more reason for the U.S. to be energy independent.
It will also mean higher gas prices.
“Today’s announcement from OPEC+ confirms why the United States must be energy independent and energy secure so we cannot be intimidated by foreign adversaries,” Manchin, who is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement after the OPEC+ decision.
The U.S. has the resources, he said, but energy production is being hampered by excessive federal permitting regulations…
