Capitalizing on America’s Energy Abundance and Improving Energy Security

The Challenge: Energy affordability, reliability, and security are critical to American families and businesses. When energy prices increase, they disproportionately harm low- and middle-income families. This economic pain extends beyond the pump and beyond the meter as American households are paying more for groceries, going out to eat and most other goods and services, since energy is an essential input for those products. 

The Opportunity: Policymakers should recognize America’s global leadership in natural resource development as an economic, environmental, and geopolitical advantage. Working with our allies, American producers can remain a global leader in supply and continue to reduce the industry’s environmental and climate footprint. Domestic production for oil, natural gas and minerals can displace production from dirtier sources and reduce the influence of political adversaries on the global market. 

The Solutions: Increasing energy supplies, easing supply chain constraints and securing processed minerals will best be achieved by opening domestic and international markets to extraction, processing, and trade. Policymakers should: 

  • Expedite permitting for natural resource extraction, energy projects and infrastructure.
  • Create opportunities for state-led environmental reviews and permits.
  • Fast-track permitting for liquified natural gas (LNG exports).
  • Approve the Keystone XL pipeline.
  • Implement a 50/50 revenue share for states for production in federal waters.
  • Modernize the Outer Continental Shelf leasing program. 
  • Repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard.
  • Allow competitive bidding processes on federal lands for activities including conservation leasing.
  • Prohibit both pre-emptive and retroactive vetoes under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.
  • Repeal the Jones Act and the Foreign Dredge Act. 
  • Eliminate steel and aluminum tariffs.

Key Facts 

Legislation to follow: 

Legislation Bill Number(s) House Sponsor Senate Sponsor House Cosponsor(s) Senate Cosponsor(s)
American Critical Minerals Independence Act H.R.2637 Waltz (R-FL-6) Westerman (R-AR-4), Lucas (R-OK-3), Weber (R-TX-14), and more
ESCAPE Act S.819 and H.R.2046 Miller (R-WV-3) Barrasso (R-WY) McKinley (R-WV-1), Arrington (TX-19) Boozman (R-AR), Braun (R-IN), Capito (R-WV), and more
Federal Land Freedom Act of 2021 S.2394 Inhofe (R-OK) Capito (R-WV), Cruz (R-TX), Cramer (R-ND), and more
Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act S.171 and H.R.684 Armstrong (R-ND-At Large) Daines (R-MT) McCarthy (R-CA-23), Scalise (R-LA-1), Cheney (R-WY-At Large), and more Hoeven (R-ND), Cramer (R-ND), Barrasso (R-WY), and more
Lease Now Act of 2021 S.4228  Barrasso (R-WY) Lummis (R-WY), Risch (R-ID), Marshall (R-KS) and more
License Natural Gas (LNG) Now Act of 2019 S. 1155 and H.R.2248 Higgins (R-LA-3) Cassidy (R-LA) Abraham (R-LA-5), Crenshaw (R-TX-2) Capito (R-WV), Kennedy (R-LA)
ONSHORE Act S.4229 Barrasso (R-WY)  Lummis (R-WY), Risch (R-ID), Marshall (R-KS), and more
UNSHACKLE Act S.717 and H.R.3814 Cheney (R-WY- At Large) Lee (R-UT) Cramer (R-ND), Cruz (R-TX)

Read the full chapter here.

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