Dakota Access Pipeline Will Provide Jobs, Energy Stability and Security

My experience within the U.S. government and the International Energy Agency has focused on global energy markets, energy policy and national security. I continue to follow the development of our nation’s energy infrastructure projects with a close eye.

Over the last several months I have been deeply concerned by the slowdown in developing the energy infrastructure needed to take advantage of the energy renaissance underway in the upstream oil and gas industry.

One example, although by no means the only infrastructure delay, is the result of ongoing protests and the Obama administration’s recent action over one such project, the Dakota Access pipeline.

The efforts against the Dakota Access project should serve as a powerful cautionary tale of the dangers of energy policy driven by ideology rather than economic reality. Continued delay of projects like Dakota Access could have a chilling effect on expanding our nation’s energy infrastructure and on efforts to continue bolstering American energy security.

Access to affordable and dependable energy sources is critical for energy security and economic prosperity. Potentially high energy costs and U.S. reliance on oil from unstable regions of the world undermine U.S. foreign-policy flexibility and economic competitiveness.

One of the many facts ignored by activists is that oil produced in the Bakken region and other highly prospective areas will play an important role in our energy production for decades to come.

While I support balanced and comprehensive energy policies that include responsible development and utilization of all energy resources, both traditional as well as alternative sources, the fact is we’re just not there yet and we need to recognize the long lead times involved in these capital intensive projects. The Energy Information Administration projects that by 2040, oil, natural gas and coal will provide about 75% of America’s energy needs — a relatively small change from previous projections.

 

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Infrastructure Key to Strengthening U.S. Energy Security

A new report produced by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy finds that America’s energy security is as its strongest point in two decades thanks to domestic oil and gas production.

The 2016 edition of the Index of U.S. Energy Security Risk, which examined an array of geopolitical, economic, reliability, and environmental risk factors, shows that total energy security risk in 2015 dropped to its lowest level since 1996. “The outlook for U.S. energy security is as bright as it has been since we started measuring it back in 2011,” wrote Karen Harbert, president and CEO of Institute for 21st Century Energy.

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Not surprisingly, key infrastructure investments like the Dakota Access Pipeline are critical to domestic energy security and newly-defined role as the world’s leader in oil and gas production. In her opening remarks, Harbert makes clear that the benefits of America’s revolution “are contingent on the ability to move these resources to domestic and global markets” and cautions against the politicization of infrastructure needed to sustain continued growth.

On Dakota Access, the report notes the thorough review the project underwent:

The Dakota Access pipeline will link North Dakota’s oil fields with refineries in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The project has undergone extensive stakeholder consultation and environmental review, received its national permits, and would run along existing rights of way for a natural gas pipeline and transmissions line. As of this writing, Dakota Access is awaiting a final Army Corp of Engineers easement and is being held up by Keep it in the Ground activists, which means that most North Dakota crude oil will continue to travel by rail.

This is not the first time Dakota Access has been discussed in the context of national security. Earlier this fall, former U.S. Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich called the Dakota Access Pipeline, “a critical step forward in shoring up U.S. energy security by providing safe and efficient transportation of oil inside the United States.” Kauzlarich, who served as ambassador to Bosnia and Azerbaijan under President Bill Clinton, added that Dakota Access will reduce America’s reliance on foreign oil and mitigate market volatility.

Whether it be strengthening the nation’s energy security or providing a safer, more efficient way to move domestic energy resources, the Dakota Access Pipeline has demonstrated its merit to the region and the country.

Image courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy.