• May 4, 2016

    The Right Leadership Can Make America an Energy Superpower

Our nation’s next president must be ready to lead on Day One, so the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is  reaching out to "45" to share our policy vision. We are highlighting the issues that are most important to the employers, executives and entrepreneurs that create opportunities across the nation.  One of the most important issues is energy.   In addition to the Chamber's own perspectives, we're reaching out to accomplished experts to join our project. We're pleased to have one of the most accomplished legislators of his era, U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, share his advice on energy to the next President.  


You’ll be entering the Oval Office at a time of tremendous challenges. As a former chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, I’ve been vocal about our nation’s deficit and the need for serious solutions.

Fortunately, you also have an incredible opportunity: You have the ability to make America an energy superpower.

When I led the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we knew the future was bright, but we had no idea that America had such vast shale oil and gas resources right under our nose. Through proven technologies and innovation, we’ve begun to take advantage of those resources, putting thousands to work and generating billions in investment.

Even though our entire energy landscape has changed, our policies haven’t. The last major update to our energy policy was in 2005, when I helped pass a bipartisan Energy Bill. The time has come for another look — one that recognizes that we now have the ability to be a global leader in oil and gas production, as well as other opportunities in areas like nuclear energy, which I’ve long advocated for. We also need to reform our permitting process to build energy infrastructure — it shouldn’t take years (or even decades) to get a pipeline or transmission line built. We also shouldn’t throw away one of our greatest strengths — our energy diversity. Coal is still the largest source of electricity in America, providing affordable and reliable energy to over 30 percent of Americans.  Efforts to put coal out of business will only hurt us and drive manufacturing and jobs overseas. Instead, we should continue to invest in technologies that improve all of our resources, including renewable sources like solar and wind. If our nation is to become the energy superpower that we can be, we’ll need all of it. Energy may not be a big issue in this campaign. But when you take office, you’ll realize it is one of our nation’s most important assets. It gives us a competitive advantage in the global economy, allowing us to attract more manufacturing and create jobs. Solving our challenges won’t be easy. But with the right leadership, we can be the envy of the world.  Former U.S. Sen. Pete V. Domenici New Mexico, served six terms (1973-2009)