Opinion | Biden can have cheap gas or fight climate change — not both

Viewed as a burden on consumers, higher gas taxes are indeed difficult to sell politically, although many states have increased their taxes in recent years to finance transport infrastructure and other needs. More realistically, they seem attractive as an investment to undermine Big Oil and OPEC +. Yes, as the cost of crude oil decreased, taxes would make up a greater proportion of the price at the pump. But the revenue would belong to the public – in that sense, the drivers would pay themselves, not the Saudis and Russians. The $ 840 billion a 25-cent gas tax hike could bring by 2050 could buy many roads, bridges, and tunnels, Energy Innovation estimates.