Energy Workforce President supports oil, gas production legislation at congressional hearing
(WO) – On Sep. 28, Energy Workforce & Technology Council President Tim Tarpley testified at the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources legislative hearing on H.R. 1121, the “Protecting American Energy Production Act,” and H.R. 5616, the “BRIDGE Production Act of 2023.” The legislation guarantees access to oil and gas resources both on and offshore and ensures that the rights to domestic resource development are kept from being interrupted or administratively slowed down.
Tarpley testified in support of the two bills.
H.R. 1121, the “Protecting American Energy Production Act,” introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03) prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that states should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands.
In his testimony, Tarpley discussed the importance of hydraulic fracturing to the economy and the environment: “With 95% of new onshore wells in the United States requiring hydraulic fracturing, a moratorium or ban would shut down new production in the United States. That means dramatically higher gas prices, no new investment, job losses and loss of United States energy security and the environmental gains the U.S. has made.”
H.R. 5616, the “BRIDGE Production Act of 2023,” was introduced by Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA-06). This legislation mandates that the Secretary of Interior hold no less than four offshore lease sales on specified dates that cannot be bureaucratically delayed.
Tarpley discussed, “This mandate should not be necessary, as we should already have a 5-year lease plan according to existing law, but unfortunately, we do not. This mandate will bring regulatory certainty for the energy workforce that relies on the offshore for their livelihood and will allow for long-term investments necessary to continue to develop our offshore resources.”
