HOUSTON, TX – CEA President David Holt said it was “encouraging” that President Obama’s referenced an all of the above energy plan in his fifth State of the Union address but Holt continues to be concerned about the pace of energy infrastructure construction.
“Our energy infrastructure is struggling to keep up with supply, new federal proposals hostile to energy development threaten to derail our progress, special interests are working overtime to halt responsible resource development and we are essentially flying blind as a national energy policy continues to remain elusive.”
The U.S. Department of State is currently reviewing a cross-border permit which would allow construction of a second leg to the Keystone XL pipeline to go forward. Construction is already underway on a southern leg. If completed the pipeline would transport oil from Alberta, Canada to Houston, TX.
Beyond Keystone, Holt noted the nation’s electrical transmission grid needs modernization along with streamlining the permitting process federal agencies require.
Making immediate improvements to our energy infrastructure including approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline and upgrading our transmission grid; approving a national energy policy; streamlining federal permitting for resource development; expanding access to oil and gas resources while increasing funding for research and development of renewable energy systems and continued advancement of efforts to support U.S. energy efficiency.”