Today there is an abundance of energy across our nation. From traditional to renewable energy resources, our production capability has never been greater.
In 2015, natural gas prices are less than $4 per thousand cubic square feet, assessments show there is potential to develop over 65 gigawatts of hydropower in waterways across the United States, and coal is used to generate over 40 percent of our electricity — at an affordable price for ratepayers.
The future of our country depends on an all-of-the-above approach to energy production — an approach that does not eliminate traditional energy sources, but rather utilizes our nation’s vast energy resources efficiently while also protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land on which we raise our families. Today, energy related CO2 emissions have significantly declined.
This idea was the common theme across conversations we had with energy leaders in Oklahoma City earlier this month. From oil and gas, to hydropower, to coal, industry leaders agree that President Obama’s attempts to radically reduce the use of traditional energy resources does not set us up for success in the future.
This president’s regulatory assault has threatened America’s ability to implement an all-of-the-above approach to energy that is critical for affordable energy prices, a strong economy, and our energy independence.
President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency continues to issue regulations that are fundamentally flawed, harm hardworking Americans, and trample individual states’ rights. Although ozone levels have dropped by one-third since 1980, the president continues to push regulations that threaten jobs and economic growth, and put the reliability of our electric grid at risk.
While states are still working to implement the current ozone standard set in 2008, the EPA has issued new standards that will place an undue burden on the states. These new standards have the potential to be one of the most expensive regulations in the EPA’s history. By the EPA’s own account, the annual national compliance costs would be in the billions of dollars. At a time when our economic growth remains slow, placing additional burdens on the states could hinder their ability to expand their energy production and create jobs.
With the EPA’s cap and trade rules, the administration has risked turning the lights off for some of the most vulnerable families in the nation. Electric power generation has always been the responsibility of the states. However, the final rules put the federal government in charge by requiring states to submit plans to comply with the new CO2 goals set by EPA for their electricity. This unprecedented power grab threatens local communities, businesses and ratepayers across Kentucky, Oklahoma and the country.
While the administration continues to say no to American energy, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has worked on solutions that capitalize on our newfound energy abundance and say yes to energy. We recently passed the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act out of committee, a bill that brings our energy policies, written during a time of energy scarcity, into the 21st century by modernizing our energy infrastructure, empowering consumers and strengthening our geopolitical influence abroad. Additionally, the House recently passed H.R. 702, a bill that lifts the nearly 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports.
We need a true all-of-the-above energy strategy in Congress — a strategy that prioritizes the livelihoods of American families and businesses. The American people are tired of a president who ignores the major fiscal and employment challenges facing our country while advancing an agenda supported by pocketbook environmentalists. With an abundance of energy comes a responsibility to expand production while utilizing new technologies. When given the choice for the future of American energy, our answer must be an all of the above energy policy.
Ed Whitfield, a Republican congressman from Kentucky, is chairman of the Energy and Power subcommittee. Markwayne Mullin, a Republican congressman from Oklahoma, serves on the subcommittee. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
