API President Jack Gerard's Statement on Murphy-Abercrombie Energy Bill

WASHINGTON - American Petroleum Institute President Jack Gerard today issued the following statement on the American Conservation and Clean Energy Independence bill, introduced today by Reps. Tim Murphy (R-Penn) and Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) and others. Among other things, the bill includes provisions to expand access to previously off-limits offshore areas:

“This bipartisan bill recognizes the importance of increased access to offshore oil and natural gas resources not only to our nation’s economy - in terms of generating federal, state and local revenues and new well-paying jobs—but also to America’s energy security.

America’s oil and natural gas industry is the backbone of the economy. Development in federal waters off the nation’s coasts provides thousands of jobs, government revenues and the fuel needed to run America’s cars and factories, heat our homes and the feedstock needed to make the materials we use every day. Expanding access would mean more revenues, more jobs and greater energy security.

This legislation is a step in the right direction. We look forward to working with Congress to further refine some of the provisions and move forward with policy that will tackle our nation’s critical energy challenges.”