Energy Tomorrow Blog
Ensure Tax Reform is Pro-Growth
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Mark Green
Posted August 31, 2017
President Trump’s call for tax reform this week, kicking off the administration’s push for pro-growth measures to spur investment, create jobs and raise earnings is one we can certainly understand. The president said:
“We need a competitive tax code that creates more jobs and higher wages for Americans. It’s time to give American workers the pay raise that they've been looking for, for many, many years. … If we do this, if we unite in the name of common sense and the name of common good, then we will add millions and millions of new jobs, bring back trillions of dollars, and we will give America the competitive advantage that it so desperately needs and has been looking for for so long. It’s time.”
No argument here. The natural gas and oil industry is about economic growth: investing, creating jobs and boosting worker pay for years – on the way to supporting 10.3 million jobs while adding $1.3 trillion to the national economy and aiding growth across all 50 states.
Populists Versus the Populace – Oil Exports Edition
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Mark Green
Posted October 9, 2015
We’re still more than a year from the next presidential election, but already we’re hearing attacks on energy company earnings, rhetoric calibrated for the sole purpose of riling up the party base. It’s bad political theater that misleads the American public to score political points, distracting from a substantive debate on the right energy path for the country. This has come up most recently in the debate over lifting the 1970s-era ban on U.S. crude oil exports -- which was advanced with bipartisan U.S. House passage of a bill ending the export ban.
Yesterday, we looked at problems with the White House’s opposition to lifting the ban. Goodness knows, export opponents on Capitol Hill have their own faulty reasons. We’ve covered most of these before, including consumer impacts, national security and the oil imports vs. exports muddle.
Some of the biggest confusion comes from those who find it convenient to flay the oil and natural gas industry. Certainly, running around and repeating “Big Oil” over and over again plays well with people who don’t like fossil fuels and/or progress in general. Unfortunately, in their rush to attack those who supply products that the American people actually want and demand – products that power our economy and modern way of life – it’s the American people who take the hit.
America’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry Benefits Americans
oil and natural gas industry earnings economic benefits stock ownership pension funds mutual funds iras 401k retirement funds investments
Mark Green
Posted October 21, 2014
Sonecon’s updated look at ownership of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry shows that the benefits of a successful, rigorous industry sector continue to accrue to a broad range of Americans – who are the industry’s true owners. Here’s what we mean by broad:
- Public and private pension and retirements plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs, hold 46.8 percent of all shares of U.S. oil and natural gas companies in 2014.
- Asset management companies, including mutual funds, hold 24.7 percent of oil and natural gas shares.
- Individual investors hold 18.7 percent of all oil and natural gas company shares.
Combined, that’s 97 percent of all oil and natural gas company stock – held by millions of Americans across the country.
Energy Earnings, Taxes and the Right Path for America
Mark Green
Posted April 26, 2013
An interesting discussion this week at a Politico Pro event hosted by API on the impacts of tax policy on the U.S. energy sector – timely, because if past is prologue oil and natural gas earnings reports this week and next likely will be accompanied by new calls for higher industry taxes. Let’s take a look at each issue.
First, earnings. Reported first-quarter earnings for America’s largest oil and natural gas companies reflect big companies with correspondingly big operations and investments. Yet, looking at earnings per dollar of sales helps contextualize the numbers. While not all oil and natural gas companies had reported their first-quarter earnings as of week’s end, here’s how that measure looked in the last quarter of 2012:
Earnings, Investment and Economic Stimulus
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Mark Green
Posted February 11, 2013
Let’s talk oil and natural gas company earnings. Today, three charts that illustrate some of the things we’ve been saying for some time:
- Earnings equal return on investment, which is great news for millions of Americans – the true owners of these companies. (More here from Ken P. Cohen’s Perspectives blog.)
- Oil and natural gas companies are investing in America in a way unsurpassed by other industries.
- America’s oil and natural gas companies pay their fair share – and more – in taxes.
Unused Leases? You’ve Got to be Joking!
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Mark Green
Posted May 15, 2012
Recalculating the White House
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Mark Green
Posted March 14, 2012
Earnings Facts, Perspective
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Mark Green
Posted February 3, 2012
Starting the Energy Debate
vote 4 energy taxes state of american energy earnings domestic energy access
Mark Green
Posted January 5, 2012
Will Americans vote energy in 2012? We think they should, and API President and CEO Jack Gerard made a compelling argument for it yesterday at the second State of American Energy event in Washington, D.C.
Gerard’s speech was both an appeal and a signal. The appeal: America’s oil and natural gas industry believes there’s never been a better time for a fact-based debate on energy that focuses on ways to help make this country more energy self-reliant and more secure. The signal: API’s new Vote 4 Energy campaign is under way, designed to persuade American voters to be energy-issue voters in this election year.