America runs on diesel. Trucks, trains, boats, and barges need it, and so do buses and farm and construction equipment. But as refineries continued to shut down in response to the Biden administration's war on fossil fuels, the supply is drying up.
Shameek Konar of Pilot Flying J travel centers, the nation's leading retailer of diesel, warned about that recently when he testified before the Surface Transportation Board.
"Union Pacific's restrictions will prevent Pilot from keeping minimarkets adequately supplied with [diesel exhaust fluid], likely causing shortages that will sideline trucks and reduce trucking capacity," he told the federal agency.
Snopes reports claims about diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) shortages are "misleading," and Union Pacific and Flying J both told the fact-checking website the issue has been resolved. However, neither company denies disagreeing over hauling the important diesel additive. Union Pacific told Snopes its request to reduce shipments by rail car was "strictly voluntary."
As transportation costs rise, so will the cost of food and every other commodity that needs to be transported.
And considering the fact that home heating and electricity are also produced using diesel, Dan Kish of the Institute for Energy Research says things are not looking good at all.
"Predictions are that wholesale electricity prices will be doubling to tripling this summer," he relays.
Kish believes the Biden administration is taking the exact wrong approach to preventing the looming crisis.
"We've closed nuclear power plants; we've closed refineries; we've closed just about everything, which may please The New York Times' front page but doesn't please the customers who have to pay more for the things that they get," he says, adding that that will continue until something changes in Washington.
But as President Biden continues to blame the situation on Putin invading Ukraine, Kish says the current political leaders seem more interested in passing the buck than solving the problem.
