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By hitting the ground running with smart, pro-energy policies, Congress and the Trump White House can build on America’s status as a global energy superpower and advance major economic goals

Trump’s pro energy policies will enhance US status as global economic superpower



WASHINGTON, D.C — After a polarizing election season marked by economic unease, there’s at least one issue that inspires bipartisan optimism: Americans are pretty happy about leading the world in oil and natural gas production. Average gasoline prices are just over $2.00 per gallon, and households saved $1,337 in utility and other energy-related costs last year.
The stability U.S. oil and natural gas production has added to world markets is making a real difference in family budgets, and voters of all political views want to keep it going. An election night survey of actual voters found 80 percent support increased development of U.S. oil and natural gas resources, including 71 percent of Democrats, 94 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Independents. The findings point to bipartisan consensus behind President-elect Trump’s pledge to pursue an energy approach that would include “opening federal lands for oil and gas production, opening offshore areas, and revoking policies that are imposing unnecessary restrictions on innovative new exploration technologies.” With the oil and natural gas industry facing no fewer than 145 regulatory actions, unnecessary restrictions are a real threat to sustained energy security. Technological advances, existing standards and industry investments have combined to achieve significant reductions in ozone and methane emissions, for instance.

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Yet the Obama administration is pressing ahead with new regulations that could impose crippling new costs while adding little to no environmental benefit. A smarter regulatory approach — that avoids duplication, takes current success into account and unleashes technology innovation to drive economic activity — should be a top priority for the new administration and Congress. President-elect Trump has also identified infrastructure as a primary focus, vowing in his first post-election remarks to “rebuild” U.S. infrastructure to make it “second to none.” Building new energy infrastructure alone — including pipelines, storage, processing, rail and maritime development — could generate $1.1 trillion in private investment over 10 years and support one million shovel-ready jobs that don’t rely on taxpayer funding. On top of the immediate boost to the middle class economy, building new energy infrastructure represents an investment in long-term energy security, ensuring reliable, affordable oil and natural gas keeps moving efficiently to homes and businesses. How important are pipelines to energy cost savings? Take a look at the northeastern U.S., which is home to seven of the top 10 most expensive states for electricity costs.

States like Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts pay well above the national average in retail electricity prices, despite being a short drive from one of the world’s largest natural gas supplies. They simply don’t have enough pipelines to connect the region’s power plants to clean-burning natural gas in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale region. Building more pipelines could lower utility costs, reduce emissions and create thousands of construction jobs. Manufacturers — including producers of steel, chemicals, refined fuels, plastics, fertilizers and numerous other products — are also saving on power and materials costs thanks to America’s energy resurgence. U.S. industrial electricity costs are 30-50 percent lower than those of foreign competitors, according to a recent study from the Boston Consulting Group. Overall American manufacturing costs are now 10 to 20 percent lower than those in Europe and could be 2 to 3 percent lower than China’s by 2018, giving U.S. industries a crucial competitive edge. Building energy infrastructure means building on America’s energy advantage. Oil and natural gas pipelines transport energy at a 99.999 percent safety rate and play a critical role in environmental progress, delivering clean-burning natural gas that has driven carbon emissions from electricity generation to 25-year lows. More than 80 percent of voters agree that U.S. oil and natural gas production can help achieve each of their most important priorities: job creation, economic growth, lower energy costs, and energy security. By hitting the ground running with smart, pro-energy policies, Congress and the Trump White House can build on America’s status as a global energy superpower and advance major economic goals. Marty Durbin is Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the American Petroleum Institute (API) is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. He earned bachelor of arts degrees in government and politics from the University of Maryland at College Park. Readers may write him at API, 1220 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-4070


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