President Trump’s recent approval of both the Keystone XL and the Dakota Access pipelines was an impressive start in his plan to rebuild American infrastructure, boost our economy and invigorate job growth. These approvals, along with other encouraging signs, offer a positive glimpse of where the administration is headed and what the next four years will bring. Projects such as Keystone XL and Dakota Access are good starts to infrastructure development, but both of these projects are only a down payment on a larger, more crucial investment.
Infrastructure improvement and job generation are visible and immediate benefits of energy investments, but there are other tangible factors that make the president’s energy focus attractive.
As an example, take the case of New York state and the significant and measurable cost of “doing nothing.” New York’s ban on all fracking and pipeline construction can arguably be cited as a cause for the increased energy costs for New Yorkers and for New Englanders as well. These restrictive policies result in northeastern consumers paying the highest energy prices in the country, affect construction jobs, and impede the growth of manufacturing business. Is that something we want for the rest of America?
The economic, infrastructure and employment aspects of sound energy development and production decisions are of significant national and regional interest, but the national security implications of such energy policy decisions are of great concern. America’s continued progress toward energy independence, the unimpeded availability of energy for our military, the elimination of the use of energy by those who are unfriendly toward us as tools of manipulation to coerce our or allies’ behavior, and the reduction of the need to protect the world’s shipping lanes are crucial considerations when formulating sound energy policy.
Additionally, the opportunity to provide solid construction projects, infrastructure improvement and well-paying energy industry jobs, particularly our transitioning veterans, are also contributors to national security.
The world population continues to grow, and along with it the global demand for energy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that fossil fuels will continue to serve as the foundation for the United States’ and the world’s energy needs for the next 30 years. The Department of Defense depends on unimpeded access to vast amounts of energy. It is crucial that the United States be able to meet its defense, public and economic energy needs.
Moreover, the global community shares the same need. The American oil and natural gas development and refining renaissance indicates that the United States can help meet that need. As the world’s leader in production and refining of oil and natural gas, and in the reduction of carbon emissions, the United States plays a pivotal role in using energy to meet global security and economic needs.
The energy, infrastructure and jobs direction that Trump has embarked on is encouraging. Continued leadership, combined with congressional action, private-sector investment, sound energy policy decisions, and an appropriate government public safety regulation framework will strengthen the backbone of America’s energy revolution and will provide for a prosperous and secure nation.
