Mr. President, Approve This Pipeline

Fox News reports that EPA’s Region 6 administrator has apologized for comparing his agency’s enforcement strategy to Roman crucifixion. Of course, the 2010 remarks by EPA’s Al Armendariz, were captured on video, which you can see here.

Despite Armendariz’s apology, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, which is in the EPA region that Armendariz administers, is investigating. Inhofe said the crucifixion comments suggest a campaign of “threats” and “intimidation.”

Certainly, one poorly chosen analogy from a single regional administrator doesn’t indict an entire agency – though it’s concerning that this fellow, with his apparent zest for enforcement, has had oversight for the energy-rich Eagle Ford and Barnett shale areas of Texas. Talk about a chilling effect.

We hope that Armendariz’s a... more »

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar talked about a divide in America between the “real energy world and the imagined energy world” during a speech Tuesday in Washington. He’s got that right – but it’s not like the administration is on the right side of that divide. Consider:

It dismisses calls for increased access, saying it takes years to develop oil and natural gas resources, and then takes credit for increased production.It says it wants more oil and natural gas when in reality its policies set back production in the all-important Gulf of Mexico and on federal western lands.It says 75 percent of America’s offshore resources are open for development when in reality 87 percent of areas are off-limits.It says oil and natural gas are the energy of the past even though they... more »

Rounding up some of the latest rhetoric by Keystone XL pipeline opponents – separating fact from fiction (and utter fantasy) – while striving for an informed energy discussion. It’s not easy.

Let’s start with a great big fact:

The U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) reports that oil and natural gas supply 62 percent of the energy we currently use. In 2035, EIA says oil and gas still will supply about 60 percent of the energy we use.

That’s the energy reality, according to the government. We run our economy and our lives on oil and natural gas. It’s the energy of today and tomorrow. Yes, America will need all energy sources in the years to come, but any notion that we can embark on an “off-oil” strategy without severe economic and social repercussions is uninformed, disingenuou... more »

During a recent conference call with reporters API Chief Economist John Felmy said the country is at a “crossroads of energy and economic policy.” That’s quite a crossroads. Chad Moutray, chief economist at the National Association of Manufacturers, pointed out that manufacturing has added 462,000 net new jobs since 2010, and that continued growth hinges on energy and regulatory policy. So, where do we stand?

The administration’s energy policy is a muddle, as IPAA President and CEO Barry Russell argues in this Roll Call piece:

“Obama calls to expedite infrastructure projects, but in the wake of rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline. Obama claims increased oil and natural gas production on his watch, but then follows up with accusations that oil companies are profiting at the expense... more »

In response to a question about the Keystone XL pipeline back in January, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters: “[I]t is a fallacy to suggest that the president should sign into law something when there isn’t even an alternate route identified in Nebraska …” Carney also said the then-delay in reviewing the project was “a result of concerns in Nebraska about the route … and how it would affect the aquifer there.”

That was then. Now it appears the White House statements were really excuses, not concerns.

Indeed, last year the State Department’s exhaustive Keystone XL environmental review concluded that the project would be the safest pipeline ever built in the United States. The department also determined that the project’s proposed safety mechanisms and procedures wou... more »

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