This week, a diverse coalition of over 100 organizations has come together to promote the importance of America’s infrastructure. Our national infrastructure has seen better days, but because of efforts like Infrastructure Week, we are now moving forward with many of the critical investments needed for the 21st Century.
Though roads and bridges often come to mind when you first think of infrastructure, they represent only a small piece of the puzzle. A reliable energy supply is a critically important to the American way of life.
To meet this need, America depends on an extensive network of pipelines capable of transporting the energy resources essential to our everyday lives. The ability to heat our homes, power our cars, and enjoy the convenience of a many consumer goods all stems from the availability of the petroleum resources delivered by pipeline infrastructure.
In recent years, the American energy boom has reasserted the importance of the critical pipeline infrastructure necessary to unlocking the full potential of energy independence. Previously untapped domestic oil and gas reserves like the Bakken and Three Forks formations in North Dakota are already redefining our economy, providing a reliable supply of affordable energy to homes and businesses across the country.
While we have made great strides in investing in domestic energy infrastructure, there is still work to be done. Proposed projects like the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will transport oil from the Bakken region to markets around the country via Illinois, are key to ensuring the benefits of American energy are here to stay.