The Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association (TIPRO) today released the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s order issued Wednesday that will halt leasing for fossil fuel production on federal lands and waters, action by the executive branch which will unquestionably jeopardize American jobs and severely hinder domestic development of oil and natural gas. The statement below can be attributed to Ed Longanecker, president of TIPRO:
“We strongly oppose the decision to indefinitely halt new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters. This will result in severe economic consequences and will interrupt the environmental progress achieved by the nation’s oil and gas sector. Energy produced on federal lands and waters accounts for nearly a quarter of U.S. oil production and roughly 12 percent of our nation’s natural gas output. The development of mineral resources on our federal lands has amplified our nation’s energy security and also supports hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Bottom line, this ban will hurt our country, and the timing could not be worse. In the midst of a recovery from last year’s oil price crash and the extreme demand deconstruction prompted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any government-imposed setbacks to the energy sector are expected to lead to higher electricity prices, job losses and diminished revenue for government coffers, amongst other impacts.
The oil and natural gas industry has already made its commitment known to minimizing its environmental footprint, in many cases voluntarily pledging to reduce emissions along with other environmental enhancements, that will support ongoing environmental stewardship as the industry continues meeting our country’s energy needs. We urge the Biden Administration to reverse this dangerous decision and recognize the impact of directives like this that will cause real harm to American businesses and the families that rely on the energy industry.”
