At the Drake Energy Security Forum in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Mike Sommers, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), emphasized the need for a new era of American energy leadership. Speaking at the historic Drake Well Museum, Sommers highlighted the importance of innovation and infrastructure to meet rising energy demands.
"We know the position that we are in today, where we have rising energy demand," Sommers said. "The real question that I think policymakers are going to have to answer is where is that energy going to come from?" With U.S. electricity demand expected to increase by over 40% by 2040 due to factors like AI and population growth, Sommers pointed out that modern infrastructure is crucial.
Sommers expressed concerns about pipeline projects being canceled because they cannot be built promptly. "This is becoming a jobs issue. It's becoming an economic issue. It's becoming a consumer issue. And I believe that ultimately, it is about to become a political imperative," he said.
Through API's America Builds, America Wins campaign, Sommers proposed specific actions such as setting deadlines, reducing lawsuits, and ensuring efficient decision-making processes. He asserted that the U.S. could remain a leading producer of oil, gas, and renewable energy by focusing on building infrastructure.
"The United States can continue to be the largest oil, gas, and by the way, renewable energy producer in the world and win the race for the future because everything starts with energy," Sommers remarked. "And we know that if America builds, America wins."
The American Petroleum Institute represents various segments of America's oil and natural gas industry and supports nearly 11 million jobs across approximately 600 member companies.
Watch Sommers’ full remarks here.
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