Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

In North Dakota, energy is a key industry and a vital sector in our increasingly more diversified economy. It is also a key industry for the nation. That's because every other industry -- and every American household -- relies on dependable, affordable energy. Energy is not only heating and cooling our homes, powering our businesses and fueling our transportation systems, it's also powering our economy.

North Dakota stands as an example of what we can accomplish when we take a comprehensive approach to energy development and build a healthy business climate, like we did a decade ago with EmPower ND, our state's first, comprehensive energy plan. Those efforts to create a pro-business legal, tax and regulatory environment have produced tremendous benefits, raising our standard of living, keeping unemployment low and generating a budget surplus for the future. I am pushing to implement these same policies nationally by introducing a comprehensive plan for federal energy development that lets states lead the way in developing all of their energy resources and doesn't pick winners and losers.

A comprehensive energy policy should include - but is not limited to:

Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline -- Pipelines are and will continue to be the safest and most efficient means of transporting crude oil.
North American Energy Infrastructure Act -- This bill will build more oil and gas pipelines and electrical transmission lines by preventing unnecessarily protracted delays for important energy infrastructure projects like the Keystone XL pipeline by streamlining the federal bureaucracy permitting process.
Empower States Act -- States are the first and best responders to oil and gas issues because they know their land and have a stake in protecting their environment. Our bill ensures the states retain the right to manage oil and gas production with good environmental stewardship, develop hydraulic fracturing rules and respond first to violation.
Domestic Energy and Jobs Act (DEJA) -- DEJA is a comprehensive package of 12 diverse energy bills that address both traditional and renewable development. It streamlines and simplifies regulations, boosts domestic energy supplies, builds U.S. energy infrastructure and requires the Interior Secretary to develop an all-of-the-above energy program for federal lands.
Electricity Security and Affordability Act -- In response to the EPA's proposed carbon dioxide regulations for coal-based power plants, our bipartisan bill requires the EPA to prove new regulations are economically feasible with real-world results before implementing any regulations for new coal plants and would prevent additional carbon dioxide rules on existing power plants until approved by Congress.
North Atlantic Energy Security Act -- Our bill reduces flaring, provides for good environmental stewardship and enhances national security by ensuring America's allies have access to much-needed liquid natural gas (LNG).

Source