Jeff Sparks, PBPA Chairman of the Board
Isn’t it great to have a President who understands the importance of abundant, reliable, and affordable energy!!! And it’s great to have a federal administration that finally recognizes that energy dominance is United States security! Yes, many of President Trump’s executive actions have helped and will help boost energy production. Not just any energy, but reliable and affordable oil and gas. However, there are still those progressive party members who are trying to scare the public into believing that the production of U.S. oil and gas is going to destroy the earth. We know that we must continue to educate all that we encounter that American oil and gas is the most environmentally responsible oil and gas production in the world.
We also hear many out of Washington, D.C., complaining that President Trump’s executive actions to increase LNG exports will cause our natural gas supply to become low and consequently cause the domestic price to increase. Of course, that is complete hogwash (i.e., misinformation). We know that we have enough natural gas reserves that we can supply our allies with the energy they need and still have a near-oversupply of natural gas domestically. These people who don’t want us to export LNG because it will raise domestic gas prices are the same people that want to shut the fossil fuel industry down. We need to call out the truths that detractors aren’t sharing—for example, that the export of LNG strengthens the ties between the United States and our allies, which helps strengthen our national security. The export of LNG also lessens our enemies’ leverage in the sense that our allies do not have to buy natural gas from countries that are not friends of the United States. The practice of exporting LNG is environmentally friendly—it makes good and responsible use of the abundant associated gas that is produced along with the crude oil extracted here in the Permian Basin. We must teach people—and explain to our leaders—that there will be plenty of natural gas to serve all our domestic needs well into the future.
This is why PBPA not only stays engaged with local and state legislators and keeps them educated on oil and gas issues and the policies that are needed to advance the industry and keep the public safe, but PBPA also engages Washington, D.C., to inform and educate those leaders on the benefits of oil and gas energy and the issues that we face as producers. This engagement exists in good times and bad in our nation’s capital. Fortunately, during good times we have the opportunity to utilize PBPA as the spear and not just the shield.
PBPA advocates for our members in Washington, D.C.—with Congress, the Administration, and its federal agencies. With the executive orders that have been signed, follow-up on implementation at the agency level will be incredibly important. Engagement with Congress, working towards long lasting change, is also important. PBPA is your voice in Austin, Santa Fe, and Washington, D.C. And, while all PBPA members help with our advocacy efforts by supporting the association, if you are interested in doing more, reach out and let us know. We are planning a trip to Washington, D.C., this spring for members to personally advocate for oil and gas with federal legislators. And the more voices we have spreading the message of the importance of our industry in the Permian Basin, the better!
Leave a Reply