Granholm Said In November Gas Prices Would 'Turn The Corner' In Early 2022
U.S. secretary of energy tells public, ‘We are working through an energy transition’
Editor's note: The headline was changed.
Former Michigan governor and current U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said nearly four months ago that the nation would turn the corner on soaring gas prices in early 2022.
Instead, gas prices at the pump have increased by 83 cents per gallon since her comments.
Granholm made her comments in a video posted by the White House on YouTube on Nov. 19, 2021. She said President Joe Biden was going to do “everything in his power” to “lift expenses from people” and that “everybody has access to an affordable lifestyle, and that, by the way, includes energy, affordable energy at home and at the gas pump as well.”
Granholm then cited a prediction from her department’s Energy Information Administration, saying, “We are going to turn the corner in early 2022 in terms of pricing at the pump,” adding, “predicting energy prices is more an art than a science.”
“But the bottom line is that this president and this administration are looking at every single tool to shield American families from the impact of rising energy prices,” Granholm said. “We are working through an energy transition, and we've got to start by adding energy. And the reality is we have to take some time to get off oil and gas. We recognize this. This is a transition.”
At the time the video was posted, the average gas price in Michigan was $3.35 per gallon for unleaded regular. About one year before the video, on Nov. 22, 2020, Michigan motorists had been paying $2.00 per gallon for regular unleaded gas.
As of March 8, 2022, the average price in this state is $4.18 a gallon for regular unleaded, up from $2.72 per gallon a year ago.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.