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By PAUL DEMARCO / Guest Columnist

Note: This is an opinion column.

Joe Biden had only been sworn in as president less than a day before he issued dozens of executive orders that reversed policies enacted during the Trump administration.

Those initiatives covered everything from abortion to immigration to gay rights. Each of his sweeping orders were cheered by the progressive left and opened the door to be litigated in federal courts for years to come.

However, Alabama business leaders were particularly worried about Biden’s new energy policies that could cripple the economy, raise the price to do business for manufacturers and lead to significant job loss.

The Biden administration has made it clear it is opposed to all forms of fossil fuels which will hurt coal and oil producing states like Alabama. He has also rescinded the Keystone XL pipeline and put a moratorium on new and oil gas leases and drilling permits on federal lands.

In addition, Biden is reentering the Paris Climate Agreement dealing with greenhouse gas emissions that had been rejected by Donald Trump. This will further saddle Alabama’s companies with new expensive regulations that those in China and other countries will not be required to abide by in the future. In addition, the president blocked further construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline which will have a domino effect on energy exploration, production and refining.

Alabama’s employers have diversified over the past 30 years to include automotive plants, aviation and technology companies. All these industries will see a major increase in powering their plants and the cost for raw materials due to the new Biden energy policies.

The new president is not looking for a balanced energy policy, so let’s hope Alabama’s Congressional Delegation will work against these changes that will have a negative impact on the state’s economy and people.

Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives.