“Energy Dominance” Supports a Strong Economy and the Environment
We were happy to host a Think About Energy webinar last week that featured commentary from House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and our own Congressman Fred Keller of Pennsylvania’s 12th District. Both spoke to us from our nation’s capital, where they work tirelessly to educate lawmakers on the important role that fossil fuels play in America’s quest for cleaner energy and the economic strength that we derive from it. You can view a recording of the webinar here.
Some environmental advocates believe that there is a fast track to alternative energies, but Steve and Fred helped us understand the difference between “political science” and “real science.” We all want clean air and water and employment. The energy sector has been working with communities to provide family-sustaining jobs and ensure environmental stability.
“I’m a conservationist,” said Steve, who enjoys hunting and fishing with his son in Louisiana. “We love this symbiotic relationship between the gas industry and the seafood industry where we are working together.” When the shrimping season slows down, boat owners have found good money in delivering supplies to floating oil rigs.
Fred was not to be outdone when Steve insisted that best place to fish in the Gulf of Mexico is near an oil rig. “The best places to hunt in Pennsylvania are in the pipeline right-of-ways,” Fred said proudly. “We have more turkeys and deer than ever before because of the way the land is restored.”
Steve challenged the concept of environmental lobbyists traveling by jet to push a renewable energy agenda. “It takes oil to be refined into jet fuel,” he remarked. “There’s no solar panels on that jet.” On the other hand, Fred noted that, when he takes elected officials from both parties on tours of Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania, they often tell him, “We didn’t realize how well you are taking care of the land.”
“We’ve reduced carbon emissions in America through ingenuity,” Steve concurred. As for the production of solar panels and wind turbines, he stated, “The energy has to come from somewhere. And it’s probably a fossil fuel behind the production of anything.”
Fred reminded those tuning in to the live broadcast that energy companies are constantly investing in infrastructure and making investments in the community. He cited support of the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center and the Lackawanna College School of Petroleum & Natural Gas for getting local students into the workforce faster – often within two years.
“They are graduating into $50,000 to $60,000 a year jobs,” Fred said of new employees of gas rigs, compressor stations and pipeline projects. “This is a true American success story.”
Pipelines, Steve maintained, are the safest way to transport oil and natural gas. Importing gas by tankers from countries that don’t have our high safety standards just doesn’t make sense. Meanwhile, expanding energy dominance in America leads to a cleaner environment and creates good jobs. “That’s worth fighting for,” Steve stated. And we appreciate both Whip Scalise and Congressman Keller for fighting the good fight every day.