Domestic Energy Strategy

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, it is a real honor to join my good friend and colleague from Ohio here this evening. I thank him for hosting this Special Order on such an important topic: energy.

I rise this evening in strong support of jobs, consumers, and homegrown American energy.

With the construction of the world's first commercial oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859, energy production and natural resources have long been key pieces to our economy in the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, which I have the honor of representing.

Since Drake's well, we have been fortunate to produce oil, natural gas, coal, and various forms of renewable energy. We are also home to the world's first nondefense nuclear reactor.

In recent years, development of the Marcellus shale formation has been a game changer for Pennsylvania. The Marcellus formation contains upward of 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. This amount is more than enough to meet the current demand for nearly 100 years, if not longer.

It also means significant economic opportunities for the State and for local governments, as well as the creation of tens of thousands of family-sustaining jobs throughout the region. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, as of the fall of 2014, roughly 250,000 Pennsylvanians were employed by Marcellus shale-related industries.

The average wage in core Marcellus industries remains constant at $94,000 a year, which is more than $43,000 greater than the average salary for all industries throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

In short, developing this resource means good jobs, both direct and indirect; lower energy prices for American consumers; and increased revenue for State and local governments.

One of the greatest challenges we have right now in Pennsylvania is unnecessary processes and arduous Federal roles--regulations that are both ineffective and inefficient.

Another key challenge is moving this natural gas to market. Specifically, we do not have the adequate infrastructure and pipelines to move this gas. A basic way we can address this challenge is by streamlining processes and reducing unnecessary red tape.

This week, the House will consider H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015. This legislation will address these issues by accelerating the approval process for pipelines and hydropower projects.

The bill requires the administration to designate at least 10 new energy corridors in the eastern United States to help prioritize construction. The bill also requires the Energy Department to make decisions on applications that have been submitted for the export of natural gas.

In addition, we will also be voting this week on legislation disapproving the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations on both existing and new power plants.

My district has been hit hard over the past several years by regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency regarding coal power plants. I have opposed these unrealistic regulations.

When a coal power plant is forced to shut down, it has a devastating effect which extends far beyond the men and women who are left jobless, to the trucking and mining jobs that are connected to it. Many of these are family-supporting positions which communities have depended on for decades.

I wholeheartedly support these resolutions disapproving of the emissions rules on existing and new power plants. The protection of our environment is an important goal, yet these regulations are not a solution.

I thank my colleagues for being here tonight. I am certainly going to urge a ``yes'' vote on all three of the bills that will be before this body in the days to come.

I thank my good friend from Ohio once again for hosting this important topic this evening.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I, too, thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for those eloquent remarks on a very, very important subject. I know he has a lot of other things he could be doing tonight, but this is important to him, and I appreciate him being here to sound off.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Whether we are talking families or businesses or schools, hospitals, you know, personnel, people obviously are first, but, after that, the second most important thing that people think about is energy and energy costs and having access to affordable and reliable energy.

God has been good to the United States of America with what we have been blessed with. We have been blessed with these energy sources, but we have also been blessed with the technology now in 2015 to be able to access those energy sources and to utilize them consistently as good stewards of this Earth and this environment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source