Oil Industry Seeking Regulatory Changes
WASHINGTON — The American Petroleum Institute will pursue an aggressive policy agenda during the first 100 days of the incoming Trump administration and throughout Donald Trump’s four-year term, the trade group’s president said here during API’s annual State of American Energy event.
API’s Jack Gerard said in a Jan. 4 speech followed by a question-and-answer period that the U.S. oil and natural gas industry he represents has made strong contributions to the nation’s environment, consumers and employment roles and that while regulation has its place, rules should be written in a “smart, commonsense” fashion.
Citing figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Gerard said that “in the first six months of 2016, carbon emissions from electricity generation were at their lowest point in 25 years, even as electricity demand continues to rise, due largely to greater use of natural gas — now our nation’s largest fuel source for electricity.”
He also credited highly refined petroleum products, such as ultra-low-sulfur diesel with no more than 15 parts per million of sulfur, for helping to clean up the air, adding that American refineries should be encouraged to export such commodities to other nations.
Gerard spoke to members of Congress, other lobbyists, union leaders and reporters. He told them that oil and gas companies are eager to invest billions of dollars in private investment to expand energy production and distribution facilities, which would lead to more jobs and more energy.
“For the first time in our lifetime, we can now say that North America has the potential to become a net energy exporter. That’s a revolutionary change, a significant shift from where we were just a few short years ago,” he said.
Gerard also said he would like to see more policies made by Congress rather than through regulators.
