Drill Now - Elon Supports Diverse Energy!

Musk calls on the oil and gas industry to boost production to combat demand and high pricing. Source: AP/Shutterstock (Creative Commons License).

Elon Musk may delight in trying what nobody has done before, but he definitely hasn't lost touch with reality. Recently, he made a statement on Twitter that appeared to contradict everything he stands for; support for increasing fossil fuel production! Why would Musk make the statement supporting expanding the production of carbon fuels?

In early March, Musk shared his thought on Twitter, saying, “Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.”

Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately.

Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 5, 2022

On the surface, this statement looks like it shouldn’t have come from Musk, who is open about his ambitions to eliminate internal combustion engine cars, and is the CEO of the biggest EV company. However, it is important to consider the context of Musk’s comment.

Russia has invaded Ukraine, causing heavy destruction, including the loss of lives and properties. Musk has been involved to an extent in the war by turning on Starlink satellite internet service and donating truckloads of receiving dishes.

Musk is not alone in assisting Ukraine as it tries to defend its territory. Working in tandem with the US, leaders in Europe have donated funds and war equipment to the besieged nation.

However, there is a problem with the war effort on which Musk’s tweet was predicated. While European countries have thrown their support behind Ukraine by donating billions of dollars, many more billions of dollars have gone from those same European countries' pockets to Moscow, providing Russia with the funds it needs to keep up the war.

Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately. Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.

These funds are payments for Russia’s oil and gas, which many nations in Europe rely on to power their economy. This means even though these nations have imposed sanctions on Moscow, their money is still helping Russia to fight in Ukraine.

The solution is to stop buying Russian oil and gas. However, that is easier said than done, as there are no ready alternatives for these European countries. Russia is fully aware of this and intends to use it as a bargaining chip. As the practical industrialist that Musk is, he is quick to point out what could work and what couldn’t.

Elon presents persuasively on stage at an event. Source: (Creative Commons License).

To avoid dependence on Russia for energy, Musk called for the global oil industry to simply increase its production. Switching to renewable energy is not the solution either, as it cannot be ramped up rapidly enough to meet current demand, and Musk knows this. 

While support for oil production seems contrary to Musk's interests, in this case, it shows that he is more interested in protecting people than he is in financial gain. That is an admirable trait in any circumstance, especially when it comes from the richest man in the world.