North Dakotans know how important petroleum is to our state economy. It has provided thousands of jobs, more than $822 million in government revenues, and workers from all over the country have flocked to North Dakota in search of gainful employment.
For our nation, the development of North American oil and our other thriving energy resources is crucial to ensuring our future energy security. Weaning off of Middle East petroleum is in the best interest of the country, and North Dakota is an essential piece in this puzzle.
Diversifying our energy resources with an “all of the above” approach will ensure we have adequate energy for the future. A free economy and free people need abundant energy.
That “all of the above” approach does not mean just all above ground. Oil, coal and natural gas are keys to our future. North Dakota and our nation should work to continue our access to much needed energy resources in the future.
I’m pleased to be a part of an organization that promotes such energy initiatives, The Partnership to Fuel America. This organization is comprised of more than 300 businesses concerned about our energy policy and what we’re doing as business owners to promote North American energy.