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ST. LOUIS RECORD

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Local politicians cope with natural gas price surge alone as AG Schmitt sues Biden

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Otten and Trentmann | provided

Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is leading a coalition of 13 states that have sued the Biden administration after the President signed an executive order that critics say will harm manufacturing and agriculture, and in the meantime, local politicians are critical of Schmitt whom they say has yet to act on a surge in natural gas pricing.

“We applaud the Attorney General for looking out for the best interests of Missourians but we must remember most of this is still theoretical and regulations have not currently been put in place by any federal entity,” said New Haven Alderman Tim Otten. “We would ask the Attorney General to remember that there are issues happening in Missouri right now that are hurting residents that he has declined to address.”

Otten’s constituents are suffering under the town's gas management company which has allegedly charged residents $700,000 after an unusually harsh cold front in February. As previously reported, the towns of New Haven, Hermann, and Berger collectively buy their natural gas and then separate the cost depending on supply and demand.

Otten convened with city administrator Kathleen Trentmann at an emergency meeting on Feb. 25 to discuss how to handle the billing.

“The price gouging and market manipulation have cost Missourians all over this state and it is time that the Attorney General act now,” Otten told St. Louis Record. “There is plenty of time to address the Biden Administration for actions that may or may not happen in the future.”

Otten signed a letter last week written by GOP State Rep. Aaron Griesheimer (District 61) along with 79 other elected officials asking Schmitt to step in and address the natural gas shortage.

“Numerous citizens from New Haven have filed price gouging complaints with the Attorney General but other than the standard form letters issued, nothing has been done,” Otten said. “Missouri continues to be the only state in the Midwest that has not done anything to address the price gouging by the natural gas companies.”

According to a statement online, Schmitt’s lawsuit sued over Executive Order 13990, alleging that the Biden Administration lacks the authority to issue binding numbers for the social costs of greenhouse gases to be used in federal regulations.

“There is a concern by the people in this area over specific values for the "social costs" of greenhouse gases that the Biden Administration is using,” Otten said. “If, as the lawsuit suggests, the EPA assigns a social cost of $990 billion to methane production, of which 27% comes from raising animals like hogs and cattle, and another 30% from natural gas, there is a concern that new regulations will hit the local economy hard.”

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