Brandon calls Chevon CEO ‘mildly sensitive’ in tangle with oil executive

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President Biden called the chief executive of oil giant Chevron “mildly sensitive” after he wrote a letter to the president accusing the Biden administration of vilifying the oil and gas industry over high prices.

Biden made the comments in an exchange with reporters Tuesday afternoon when asked about the letter penned by Chevron CEO Michael Wirth, who, along with other oil executives, is scheduled to meet with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm later this week.

“He’s mildly sensitive,” Biden said. “I didn’t know they’d get their feelings hurt that quickly. Look, we need more refining capacity. This idea that they don’t have oil to drill and to bring up is simply not true.”

“We ought to be able to work something out whereby they’re able to increase refining capacity and still not give up on transitioning to renewable energy,” Biden continued. “They’re both within realm of possibility.”

Wirth sent a letter to Biden earlier Tuesday arguing that Chevron was doing its part to increase oil and gas production amid a period of high demand. He also argued that the industry needs more support from the administration in order to boost energy security long term.

“Chevron and its 37,000 employees work every day to help provide the world with the energy it demands and to lift up the lives of billions of people who rely on these supplies,” Wirth wrote to Biden. “Notwithstanding these efforts, your Administration has largely sought to criticize, and at times vilify, our industry. These actions are not beneficial to meeting the challenges we face and are not what the American people deserve.”

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