The economic, environmental and stability benefits we stand to gain from choosing pipe to transport our energy go beyond the Midwest. As the region that feeds the world, the decisions that we make every day on the Great Plains effect Americans coast to coast and this decision is no different. International petroleum market uncertainty and foreign economic and political instability has become the rule, not the exception these days.
As we plan for the future we need to do our part and work together to lessen our dependence on foreign oil and increase our access to a diverse portfolio of domestic energy – including renewables like ethanol and wind along with fossil fuels. We, as a nation, have been fortunate to see our capacity to produce our own energy – whether renewable or traditional – expand drastically over the course of the last decade. Shale formations like the Bakken in North Dakota are at the heart of this expanded capacity. Safely transporting Bakken crude – and oil from other domestic sources – through modern pipelines is the best way to ensure that we’re making the most of our resources, and minimizing our need to pursue the energy that powers our economy from unreliable and often unstable foreign governments.
Investing in infrastructure that allows our domestic energy needs to be met with domestic oil is a simple way to ensure future generations will have access to the same affordable, reliable energy that allowed us to build the Midwest into a place we’re proud to call home.
Without appropriate and up-to-date energy infrastructure, our nation’s energy boom and our push for energy independence is incomplete. As President Barack Obama noted in a 2012 executive order, “Although expanding and modernizing our Nation’s pipeline infrastructure will not lower prices right away, it is a vital part of a sustained strategy to continue to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and enhance our Nation’s energy security.”