Twinkle Cavanaugh addresses St. Clair County Republicans

February 20, 025 – PELL CITY, AL – Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh (R) addressed the St. Clair County Republican Party at their regular February meeting in Pell City.

"1998 my first event was a potluck supper in St. Clair County," said Cavanaugh. I was amazed at the attendance. Y'all had 98 people in attendance. Senator Jack Biddle was there."

Cavanaugh said that Jane Bishop had prepared beaver for that potluck dinner. As a south Alabama person, she had not experienced the sorts of things that north Alabama people eat like crockpot beaver.

"I love this county," said Cavanaugh. "I serve at the Alabama Public Commission as the President. There I have had a front row seat with energy issues."

Cavanaugh was optimistic that President Donald J. Trump's (R) administration will have a long-term effect of lowering energy prices and inflation.

"President Trump is going to make us energy independent," said Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh said that Inflation is caused by oil prices.

"Oil is $76.60 a barrel," said Cavanaugh. "It went up to $123 a barrel under President (Joseph R.) Biden. It was $43 under President Trump that is an 80% increase."

Cavanaugh said that oil is used in soap, oil, plastic glasses, fertilizer, tractor fuel, etc.

"Everything we touch depends on oil," said Cavanaugh. "All of your polyester clothes are a product of oil."

Kavanaugh explained that that Biden's war on fossil fuels is what is wrong with the economy.

"You can't get off fossil fuels that is ridiculous," said Cavanaugh. "Food is up 23% across the board. Electricity is up 32% across the board. If fossil fuels are going up electricity is going up."

Cavanaugh said that by Biden telling us that we are moving off fossil fuels that directly affects investment in fossil fuel projects like refineries and oil exploration.

"You can't tell people who invest that we are moving off fossil fuels."

Most of the power generated in Alabama comes from fossil fuel (mostly natural gas) burning.

"Fossil fuels are your base load electricity," said Cavanaugh. "Renewables like winds and solar. They are not baseload electricity."

Cavanaugh explained that between 5:30 a.m. and 7:00 in the morning a lot of electricity is needed as people wake up, get ready for work, cook their breakfast, and open up their businesses.

Cavanaugh said that baseload power generation is what is needed at that point in the day.

"The first thing he did was close the Keystone Pipeline," said Cavanaugh. "We are still taking oil from the tar sands of Canada to our refineries in Texas and Louisiana. We are moving 850,000 barrels a day. But instead of sending it on a safe, efficient pipeline we have to put it on a train or a truck. It takes 2,254 train cars a day going south and going back north to move that oil every day. With the truck it takes about 4,000 because they don't hold quite as much as a rail car. The best way to get that oil from Canada to our refineries is a pipeline."

"They wanted the price of those fossil fuel to go up,'" said Cavanaugh. "They wanted the price of oil to go up. They were trying to force us into a transition that will never work."

Cavanaugh said that Alabama Power Company's fuel costs are between $one billion and one point five billion a year.

Cavanaugh said that she supports the efforts of Elon Musk and the DOGE to identify waste, fraud, and abuse.

"I applaud them for finding this waste," said Cavanaugh. "I hope we can do the same thing at the state level. When I first got to the commission, I worked with the governor's office, and I realized that they were paying for a lot of things that weren't necessary. We had 119 state employees, and we had 59 state vehicles. I knew that was ridiculous. It was not as easy to make those cuts as I had thought. Today we have 66 employees, and we have not missed a beat, and the state legislature has given us more responsibilities – we are handling waster waters and sewers now."

Kavanaugh was asked how many state vehicles are assigned to the PSC.

"20 and they are only for our inspectors," said Cavanaugh. "We inspect railroads and gas pipelines. I have never taken a state car."

"You have heard about all the waste that the DOGE has uncovered," said Cavanaugh. "There are $124 million in DEI contracts at the department of energy. Somebody is getting rich. It is our money it is not the elected officials' money."

Cavanaugh's name has been discussed as a possible 2026 candidate for Lieutenant Governor or Secretary of State.

State Rep. Joe Lovvorn (R-Auburn) asked for support for his bid to represent the Third Congressional District on the Alabama Republican Steering Committee.

The St. Clair Couty GOP elected retired Judge Phil Seay as their new Chairman and voted to elect Jaxon Phillips and Logan Glass to the Republican State Executive Committee.