Edwards says shift to renewable energy will take decades

Courtesy Gulf Island Fabrication

Gov. John Bel Edwards says Louisiana is moving away from oil and gas and toward renewable energy, reports KLFY News. Edwards says recent actions by President Biden are forcing the state to change course, but that the transition won’t happen overnight.

He’s trying to find a way to make the switch in the least painful way. “I look forward to having a meeting with the president to discuss the importance of oil and gas, even as we transition away from fossil fuels, but that transition is going to be decades long,” Edwards adds. “So we want to make sure we are going to continue to produce oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Abruptly shutting down oil and gas production in the Gulf would leave over 100,000 residents jobless and destroy an industry that drives Louisiana’s economy, Edwards says. “That’s what we need for him to understand, and we also need to start diversifying our economy by embracing renewable energy,” he adds. “That’s something we have to work on as well.” See the full story.