WASHINGTON, D.C.— The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy today unveiled its comprehensive new Energy Works for US platform that reflects the new reality of America’s energy revolution.
Energy Works for US consists of 64 specific, actionable recommendations in nine key areas. The plan will form the basis for the Chamber’s energy advocacy across the country in 2014 and beyond.
“The Energy Works for US platform will create millions of jobs, billions of dollars in revenue, and trillions of dollars of private investment,” said Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “America now has the opportunity to become an energy superpower, but our national energy policy is stuck in the past. The platform will allow us to realize our full potential.”
The new platform provides a complete update to the Energy Institute’s Blueprint for Securing America’s Energy Future, which was released in 2008. America’s energy and economic picture now looks much different, necessitating a new plan that reflects our current situation.
“While there is great cause for optimism, the reality is that our energy revolution is largely occurring in spite of government policies, not because of them,” said Karen Harbert, president and CEO of the Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy. “Poorly designed policies that limit access to resources and regulatory overreach have created uncertainty that threatens to hold back U.S. energy production and the investment and jobs that go with it. Energy Works for US shows policymakers and the American public how we can embrace our energy opportunities and overcome our energy challenges to transform our economic and geopolitical future.”
Energy Works for US would open up access to oil and natural gas resources on federal lands for production, further lowering the need for imports of these fuels. It also calls for an end to the regulatory assault on one of our most affordable and secure source of energy by maintaining coal as an integral part of America’s energy mix and investing in technology to make its use cleaner. And it would expand emission-free sources like nuclear and renewables and press for greater gains in energy efficiency.
Free trade in energy is another feature of the plan—for oil, natural gas, coal, and nuclear technologies. The platform also addresses structural impediments that trap critical energy infrastructure projects in a maze of regulations and needlessly cumbersome permitting processes. And the platform highlights new, 21st century energy challenges, like the growing need for more skilled energy workforce and looming cybersecurity threats that demand a forward thinking policy response.
“What separates Energy Works for US is the breadth of its recommendations—which cover a variety of energy sources and address a wide range of federal policies,” said Harbert. “In addition, our platform provides very specific, direct recommendations to actually implement the solutions we are proposing. We believe it’s something the business community and the American people can rally around and use to influence lawmakers, some of whom have not adjusted to today’s energy reality.”
A summary of the Energy Works for US platform is available here. The entire document, including summaries of each of the nine planks, is available at www.energyxxi.org/energyworksforus. The website also contains an introductory video and includes testimony from state Chamber executives about how energy is working in their state.
The mission of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. Through policy development, education, and advocacy, the Institute is building support for meaningful action at the local, state, national, and international levels.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.