Jack Gerard Holds Press Call on the Dakota Access Pipeline
As prepared for delivery
Maintaining the rule of law in the Dakota Access Pipeline
Jack Gerard, API president and CEO
Good afternoon, thank you for taking the time to join the call.
America’s energy renaissance, largely due to the technological advancements in hydraulic fracturing, has not only provided great benefits to American consumers but it has also provided incredible benefits to the environment and the American workforce.
Today, the U.S. leads the world in the production and refining of oil and natural gas, and consumers have benefitted through affordable fuel for transportation and through cost savings on the energy we use to heat and power our homes and businesses.
According to AAA, American consumers saved $550 at the gas pump last year because of increased energy production and the ability to bring that energy to market.
The environmental benefits cannot be ignored as well. In fact, clean-burning natural gas has driven carbon emissions from power generation to their lowest levels in more than 20 years.
Infrastructure plays a critical role in maintaining and growing America’s energy renaissance and it’s important that our energy infrastructure is able to meet the needs of consumers and our growing economy. New and expanded energy infrastructure is necessary to get supplies of oil and natural gas to market to fulfill the energy demands of our nation. And, according to a recent HIS study, development of this new oil and gas infrastructure could generate an estimated $1.14 trillion in capital investments and support as many as 1.15 million jobs.
Recent actions, like those surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline, threaten our nation’s energy renaissance.
Permits for the project were approved through an established, open and transparent regulatory process where agencies reviewed and addressed every comment irrespective of source. According to the Army Corps of Engineers, stakeholders were consulted on more than 250 occasions over a two year period.
And just last week, a federal judge, appointed by President Obama, affirmed the decision made by the Corps to grant the permit saying in a 58 page decision, that it fulfilled its obligation to seek input from and address concerns raised by individual parties.
Now, the administration has unilaterally attempted to change the rules in the middle of the game, effectively contradicting the results of its own process and the affirmation from an independent, third party judge.
This change sets a dangerous precedent for our country that could threaten all other critical infrastructure projects like bridges, roads, and electricity transmission. This is unfair to the country that depends on this infrastructure and the American workers that build it.
Strong energy infrastructure will ensure that our nation’s energy renaissance continues well into the future. This is a fact that the country understands as 82 percent of American voters support increased infrastructure development.
Just like North Dakota grain is brought to markets throughout the nation to make bread for the benefit of consumers, North Dakota oil must be brought to market to make gasoline and fuels to benefit consumers in many other states.
Moving forward, it’s critical that the rule of law is followed as the need for new energy infrastructure grows.