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Harnessing the Boom – America’s Energy Revolution

July 27, 2015 - 12:30pm

Many years ago, policymakers were concerned with managing a scarcity of energy resources following the energy crisis of the Carter administration.

In a remarkable turnaround, America now has a surplus of energy resources, most notably the shale gas, which has energized the industry.

We are in the middle of an American energy boom. Our future is bright if we can rein in overly-burdensome government regulations.

As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, my colleagues and I are working to quickly transform the scarcity mindset into a surplus approach.

We must continue to take advantage of technology achievements in order to provide for a growing market that yields jobs at home and influence abroad.

But, why has the federal government reduced energy production on federal lands?

It is a fair question that demands an answer, and increasing America’s capacity to produce energy is a main crux of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s work. This committee, one I am honored to serve on, is doing big things. In addition to the 21st Century Cures Act, a holistic, bipartisan overhaul of the health care system to get cures and treatments more quickly to the marketplace (check out previous posts for more on that), the committee has also been working on the “Architecture of Abundance.”

The Architecture of Abundance has four pillars:

  • Modernizing Infrastructure
  • 21st Century Energy Workforce
  • Energy Diplomacy for a Changing World
  • Efficiency and Accountability

On modernizing our infrastructure, Chairman Upton notes:

“The United States is now the world’s leading energy producer, but our electrical grid and pipeline distribution system hasn’t kept pace. Developers are eager to invest in new projects to put people to work, but there is simply too much red tape slowing down the permitting and siting process."

The choking point for innovation, as usual, is the federal government. It’s no different in the energy sector. Public lands must be unlocked to allow the wealth of resources at our disposal to be safely and effectively utilized.

In the coming months, I expect the Architecture of Abundance to work its way through committee — this week the bill passed the Energy and Power Subcommittee unanimously — and I look forward to its eventual passage in the House of Representatives, where I believe it will remain a bipartisan bill throughout the legislative process.

As a nation, we need to safely harness the resources with which we have been blessed. The days of relying on the Middle East and hostile South American nations are on the verge of being behind us. Energy independence would have myriad benefits.

The real value in the Architecture of Abundance belongs to my constituents — cheaper energy means they will have more to spend on other things, or save it, or do whatever they want to with their money.

Reducing the costs of everyday necessities, like power, will make a big difference for the vast majority of Americans. Too many people are still struggling. More affordable energy would help them. Working on common-sense solutions to help my constituents by untangling government red tape is why I am in Washington. The goal of lower, more affordable energy is attainable. Through the Architecture of Abundance, I expect to take a substantive step toward achieving that goal.

 

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., was first elected to Congress in 2006. 

Comments

China has seen the folly of oil and coal- pollution! They are going 100% into solar. They use science to guide their decisions not greed, politics and emotion.

Submitted by jerrydd on July 28, 2015 - 7:00am A surplus of energy? Then why do we import 35% of our oil needs? Also this is outdated old tech with only 20 yrs left when we should be moving to lower cost, pollution clean tech.-------------------------------------- That it also makes 3x's the local US jobs, not jobs in Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. Not sure why people think making power, fuels is more expensive without buying FF's or corporation overhead. -------------------------------------------This gives the local producer to the local customer all the profit value chain and savings for the consumer.--------------------------------- Vs Bilirakis want to keep big oil corporate welfare, oil wars forever, oil terrorists, pollution wasting our money, health. This comes to $600B/yr corporate welfare he wants us to keep paying!!!! -------------------------------------That is a 20% tax cut if that cost is put in oil instead of Your income taxes, healthcare costs.----------------------------------------------- So Bilirakis when are we going to get this tax cut? It's been in Congress for 10 yrs now so what gives? --------------------------------------Fact is the future is EV's, not oil as one goes 5-10x's as far on the same energy. And fuels, what little needed will be locally made from local biomass, wastes for 50% less than oil based. ---------------------------------Make a free market Bilirakis with no subsidies and not rigged for FF's. Like it is illegal to sell electricity in many states including Fla.----------------------------------- So why haven't you worked for free markets? If selling electricity was legal here in Fla I'd open a 100 person wind and tidal generator factory to build, install and maintain them.-------------------------------------------- And would make 50k Fla jobs doing solar, biomass, etc. Fla could easily be energy independent on clean power, fuels in 10 yrs for less than the cost of the FF's till then.-------------------------- But no you want other states, countries to make the jobs, money while polluting us. ---------------------- How Christian, fiscally conservative of you, NOT! Just another repub corporatist puppet following Koch/ALEX -----------------------------------I'm a fiscal conservative in the real sense and tired of those who shill for big oil, coal when we have a very different future of lower coat clean power.

A surplus of energy? Then why do we import 35% of our oil needs? Also this is outdated old tech when we should be moving to lower cost, pollution clean tech. That it also makes 3x's the local US jobs, not jobs in Iran, Saudi Arabia, etc. Not sure why people think making power, fuels is more expensive without buying FF's or corporation overhead. This gives the local producer to the local customer all the profit value chain and savings for the consumer. Vs Bilirakis want to keep big oil corporate welfare, oil wars forever, oil terrorists, pollution wasting our money, health. This comes to $600B/yr corporate welfare he wants us to keep paying!!!! That is a 20% tax cut if that cost is put in oil instead of Your income taxes, healthcare costs. So Bilirakis when are we going to get this tax cut? It's been in Congress for 10 yrs now so what gives? Fact is the future is EV's, not oil as one goes 5-10x's as far on the same energy. And fuels, what little needed will be locally made from local biomass, wastes for 50% less than oil based. Make a free market Bilirakis with no subsidies and not rigged for FF's. Like it is illegal to sell electricity in many states including Fla. So why haven't you worked for free markets? If selling electricity was legal here in Fla I'd open a 100 person wind and tidal generator factory to build, install and maintain them. And would make 50k Fla jobs doing solar, biomass, etc. Fla could easily be energy independent on clean power, fuels in 10 yrs for less than the cost of the FF's till then. But no you want other states, countries to make the jobs, money while polluting us. How Christian, fiscally conservative of you, NOT! Just another repub corporatist puppet following Koch/ALEX.

Some of the "lands" they want to drill are on the bottom of the Gulf and Atlantic, just off of our beaches. Bad idea. Forgetting the BP spill? As to Florida? No. The science says no. It is geology. Every wellbore puts everybodies and everythings fresh water at risk south of that well bore. What right do we have to drill and burn every drop of oil we can find? Oil is a limited resource...meaning...it will run out. We have a responsibility to leave as many resources as we can for our children and grandchildren. Every drop we use is less they will have. We must do the right action. We can do better, we must do better.

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