This article was first published on Rigzone here
Industry bodies the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) have announced their priorities for the incoming Trump administration in separate statements published on their respective sites.
The API presented a five-point policy roadmap in its statement, which the group said “details concrete steps Washington can take in 2025 and beyond to protect consumers, bolster geopolitical strength, leverage our national resources, reform our permitting system, and advance sensible tax policy”.
API’s five-point policy roadmap includes the repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) tailpipe rules, lifting the Department of Energy’s (DOE) LNG permitting pause, the issue of a new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) five-year offshore leasing program, the reform of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act, and retaining a 21 percent corporate tax rate, the release outlined.
“Our country has a generational opportunity to fully leverage U.S. energy leadership to improve the lives of all Americans and bring stability to a volatile world,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers wrote in a letter to President-elect Trump, which accompanied the statement.
“It has never been more vital that America control its energy future. Yet our continued success is far from guaranteed, and we have been heading down a path of extreme regulations threatening everything from our choice of home appliances to the cars we drive,” he added.
“As an industry committed to American prosperity, we stand ready to work with you and Congress to reverse course and advance a robust vision for securing America’s energy dominance,” he continued.
In its statement, the IPAA outlined that its priorities for the Trump camp include “equitable tax policies for energy businesses, sensible environmental regulations, reform of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)/permitting reform, access to federal lands and waters, reforms to the Endangered Species Act, and lifting the pause on issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities”.
A memo to the Trump transition team, which accompanied the statement, said, “the choices our nation makes regarding energy policy will have an enormous impact on America’s economy and our position in the world”.
“We urge the administration to take positive actions to support America’s small oil and natural gas producers and develop a robust energy policy that will unleash American entrepreneurs, expand our economy, and make the United States an energy superpower once again,” it added.
“This will not only benefit the United States, but nations around the globe,” it continued.
Take control of your future.
Search THOUSANDS of Oil & Gas jobs on Rigzone.com
Search Now >>
Rigzone has contacted the Trump transition team and the White House for comment on the API and IPAA’s statements. At the time of writing, neither have responded to Rigzone yet.
The API, which was formed in 1919, notes on its site that it represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which it says supports nearly 11 million U.S. jobs “and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans”.
“Our approximately 600 members produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy and participate in API Energy Excellence, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting,” it adds.
The IPAA describes itself as a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and natural gas producers and service companies across the United States.
“Independent producers develop 91 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells,” the IPAA states on its site.
“These companies account for 83 percent of America’s oil production, 90 percent of its natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) production, and support over 4.5 million American jobs,” it adds.
The U.S. election took place on November 5. Trump won this election with 312 electoral votes to Kamala Harris’ 226, RealClearPolitics and 270towin, which both describe themselves as non-partisan, show. The total number of electoral votes is 538, with a minimum of 270 needed for a majority, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website outlines.
In separate statements posted on their respective sites on November 6, the API and IPAA both congratulated Trump on his election victory.
“We look forward to working with the incoming administration and leaders in both parties to advance bipartisan solutions that unleash American energy as a driver of economic prosperity, environmental progress, and stability around the world,” Sommers said in the November 6 API statement.
In the IPAA statement, the group’s president and CEO, Jeff Eshelman, said the IPAA “appreciates President Trump’s commitment to energy leadership and security” and said the group “look[s] forward to working with him and his administration on the issues important for sustained oil and natural gas production in the United States”.