Essential role of pipelines in U.S. energy security

Tom Magness recently penned an op-ed for Fox Business which highlights the important role oil and gas pipelines play in American energy security. Magness also addresses the Biden Administration’s anti-energy posture has contributed to increased energy prices.

Pipelines have the potential to alleviate much of our energy supply shortages, yet they are repeatedly met with opposition from the Administration and many in congress. Pipeline projects in the U.S. endure a rigorous approval process and regulatory oversight. These safeguards protect both citizens and  the surrounding environment in the areas pipelines are present.  

The Dakota Access Pipeline provides a great example of these protections. In his piece, Magness points out that “Despite the existence of an effective, rigorous regulatory system, pipelines continue to be vilified by a small but vocal group of activists as environmental monstrosities built without regard for local communities and their surrounding ecosystems. This narrative and its consequences are encapsulated by the fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), critical oil infrastructure that has operated safely for years, has overwhelming public support, and is already the most studied and regulated pipeline in US history.”

Magness also highlights the critical role the judicial system is now playing in guaranteeing that pipeline infrastructure is able to continue to deliver the much-needed fuels that sustain our economy.  

“Without confidence that our judicial system will uphold the integrity of the regulatory process and dismiss spurious legal challenges, energy companies are now far less likely to invest in similar projects. Besides creating local jobs, generating tax revenue, bolstering the national economy, and ensuring the reliable delivery of energy to consumer markets, pipelines like DAPL reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as our vulnerability to supply shortages like the current one.”

Magness closes by encouraging the administration to embrace an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy that prioritizes efficient and clean natural gas and contends that in order to effectively combat energy cost inflation, our leaders must not allow well-funded, fringe activists dictate our energy policy.

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