Biden Says Feds ‘Moving Quickly’ to Boost Gasoline Deliveries to Areas Hit Hard by Hurricane Ida

President Joe Biden said Friday that his administration is pushing to boost gasoline deliveries to regions badly impacted by Hurricane Ida, where flooding, road closures, and downed power lines have led to gas shortages, leaving residents scrambling to find fuel for generators.

Biden said at a Friday press briefing in LaPlace, Louisiana, that measures to boost fuel supplies include dipping into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to enable refiners in the region to access the crude they need to continue operations, while providing flexibility for truck drivers to ramp up gasoline deliveries.

“We’re moving quickly to keep gas flowing to the pumps,” Biden said. At his direction, the Department of Energy has authorized the strategic reserve to conduct an exchange of 1.5 million barrels of crude oil with ExxonMobil Baton Rouge to address supply disruptions.

Biden also noted greater flexibility for how many hours truckers are legally allowed to drive and transport gasoline, adding, “we need more movement of this fuel. And we’re expanding the supply of gasoline that can be sold in the state of Louisiana.”

“And there’s much to be done. We’re working around the clock with the governor and the elected officials here until we can meet every need you all have,” Biden said.