API: Science, Real-World Results Should Guide Obama Policy Choices in 2016

API: Science, Real-World Results Should Guide Obama Policy Choices in 2016
President Obama should look to science and real-world proven results, not ideology, to shape his energy policy choices during his last year in office.

American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Jack Gerard urged President Obama in his last year in office to forgo pursuing an agenda of job-crushing new regulations – many of which are duplicative and unnecessary – and to look to science and real-world proven results to guide his policy choices this year.

Commenting ahead of the president’s State of the Union address Tuesday evening, Gerard said the president would likely outline his administration’s achievements and vision for final year in office, including the need for unity to secure the United States’ future prosperity. The energy renaissance offers proven solutions for all the major issues, including jobs and economic growth. However, the Obama administration has ignored the impact of the U.S. shale renaissance in the United States, not only in terms of creating jobs, but in the technological innovation that has resulted in reduced methane emissions, and reduced energy costs for U.S. industries and consumers, according to Gerard.

Instead, existing federal policy already hinders production at every chance, Gerard told reporters. For example, production remains off-limits in 87 percent of federally-controlled offshore acreage, and natural gas production on federal lands has declined even as it climbed on state and private lands thanks to shale exploration and production.

“Over the past year, the oil and gas industry has had to address nearly 100 regulations impacting all aspects of our business,” Gerard commented in a statement. “The administration needs to take a close look at them and ask two questions: Are they necessary? And, what will be the cost to consumers?”

Overall regulatory relief – including the end of the renewable fuel standard, which has outlived its usefulness – should be a goal for current administration this year, said Gerard.

In regards to the current oil price downturn, Gerard said API ultimately believes the market will find an equilibrium that’s best for producers and consumers. API also believes that federal policy should focus on reassuring domestic oil and gas producers that they will have further opportunities to create jobs, and seek to expedite activity rather than stifle it.

“We’re not asking for special treatment,” said Gerard, noting that API embraces a true “all of the above” energy policy, and that free-market prices, not ideology, should drive the nation’s long-term investment.

Gerard said that it was important for the administration to continue with plans for an offshore Virginia lease sale “to remind people of the great opportunity” in oil and gas resources and signal the rest of the world that the United States is serious about the energy renaissance. The current downturn in oil prices – which has triggered waves of layoffs and spending cutbacks in the oil and gas industry – doesn’t mean that oil and gas companies won’t be interested in exploration in the mid and southern Atlantic offshore region down the road. The industry looks at projects over a long-term basis, not a quarter to quarter basis, and a lack of infrastructure today doesn’t mean that exploration offshore the eastern United States won’t happen, Gerard added.

“The same thing could be said about the U.S. onshore a decade ago,” said Gerard in terms of infrastructure.



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john weaver  |  January 13, 2016
We cannot rely on politicians to make prudent decisions, Just look back at what the idiots have done.Just sign it, read later They are special interests driven
OB Sanchez  |  January 12, 2016
Gas,Oil and Coal! We built roads, bridges, sky scrapers, produce electricity, clean our water, flush our toilets,drive our cars with what? Fuel of some sort. Why, because its with in reason. Yes we need to find a way to replace fuels, but do we need to abandon our resources? Use what we have, fix what works, not spend tons of money on convincing talk, yes the better ways will come about. Our improvements that have been created were done by people that could think and work, with little talk. Look at us know AMERICA all talk and more money, why? More elected officials to feed. We are feasted out, talk, talk, talk, more convincing speeches. Best Regards OB Sanchez


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