R.
JACKIE: I HAVE A SPECIAL
CONNECTION TO AMERICA’S OIL
PRODUCERS FROM MY FIRST ENERGY
TRIP TO VISIT A RIG IN TEXAS TO
A COAL MINE IN KENTUCKY SEEING A
WAY TO MAKE CLEANER COAL AND
STEEL CITY.
THAT WAS THE KEYSTONE HUB THAT
NEVER HAPPENED.
I’VE BEEN TO ALL THESE TOWNS,
I’VE SEEN FIRSTHAND WHAT HAPPENS
WHEN THOSE JOBS ARE LOST.
AND TO DISCUSS IT, LET’S BRING
IN NORTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN
SENATOR KEVIN KRAMER, A MEMBER
OF THE SENATE ENVIRONMENT AND
PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.
SENATOR, GREAT TO SEE YOU THIS
EVENING.
WHAT I DIDN’T HAVE WAS PICTURES
OF MY TRIPS TO THE DAKOTA ACCESS
IS PIPELINE AND THE BAKKEN.
IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE INDUSTRY
BOOMING THERE, AND THE BAKKEN
REALLY WAS PART OF SORT OF THE
ENERGY IF REVOLUTION AND OUR
FUTURE.
NOW DRILLING RIGS THERE DOWN TO
34 FROM 57 IN 2019.
TELL ME ABOUT IT.
>> YEAH, GREAT POINT BECAUSE
THAT REALLY GETS TO THE JOBS
ISSUE.
WATCHING YOUR PREVIOUS SEGMENT,
IT’S SORT OF HEARTBREAKING.
WELL, IT’S NOT SORT OF, IT’S
HEARTBREAKING TO SEE THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO WERE WORKING ONCE AND,
BY THE WAY, WORKING REALLY GOOD
JOBS.
THESE NEW CLEAN ENERGY JOBS THAT
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS
PROMISING DON’T TODAY PAY AS
MUCH, FRANKLY, AS THE OIL AND
GAS JOBS DO.
SO, BUT THE REFLECTION OF 34
RIGS VERSUS 57 RIGS IS REALLY
SEEN IN THE SALES TAX NUMBERS.
IT GETS RIGHT TO THE BOTTOM
LINE.
McKENZIE COUNTY IN NORTH
DAKOTA, HEART OF THE BAKKEN, A
LOT OF FEDERAL LANDS, HOME TO
THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL
PARK’S NORTH UNIT.
THAT MEANS THE HARDWARE STORES,
OBVIOUSLY, THE RESTAURANTS, THE
BARS, GROCERY STORES, ALL OF THE
RETAILERS, THAT’S A MASSIVE DROP
IN REVENUE AT THE LOCAL, SMALL
BUSINESS LEVEL.
AND SO IT’S NOT JUST A MATTER OF
THE OIL WORKERS, WHICH IS BAD
ENOUGH, WHICH IS AWFUL.
BUT IT’S THE ENTIRE VALUE CHAIN
INCLUDING THE SMALL RETAILERS.
JACKIE: YEAH.
AND THAT’S THE POINT I WAS
TRYING TO MAKE IN TEXAS AS WELL,
THE IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY
THERE AND THE FOLKS WHO LIVE ON
THE GROUND.
LET ME ASK YOU THIS BECAUSE WE
WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT
PIPELINES AS WELL.
ONE OF THE MOST SAFE AND
EFFICIENT WAYS TO TRANSPORT IF
OIL.
HOW IS IT THAT WE’VE GOT AN
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL ON THE TABLE
FOR OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS, IT
IS A BIPARTISAN BILL AND WE’RE
NOT LOOKING TO INVEST IN OUR
PIPELINE INFRASTRUCTURE?
>> WELL, THERE’S ACTUALLY SOME
REGULATORY RELIEF FOR
GAS-GATHERING LINES WHICH, BY
THE WAY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S AGENDA,
THEY JUST ANNOUNCED THIS METHANE
RULE WHICH IS DESIGNED BASICALLY
TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT
FOR SMALL PRODUCERS,
PARTICULARLY EXISTING WELLS,
EVEN GO AFTER THE FLARING OF
NATURAL GAS WHICH IS NOT WASTE
PRODUCT.
WE OUGHT TO BE BUILDING MORE
LINES TO CAPTURE THAT GAS.
IT’S A VALUABLE COMMODITY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE SOME PROVISIONS
IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE
THAT PROVIDES SOME REGULATORY
RELIEF FOR ANYTHING THAT HELPS
REDUCE THAT FLARING AND CAPTURE
MORE OF THAT NATURAL GAS AND
METHANE.
SO THERE’S SORT OF A CONFLICT
EVEN OF VISIONS AND OF POLICIES
THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S
PUSHING THAT MAKE ZERO SENSE.
THE REALITY IS, AND I LOVED THE
PIPELINE WORKER THAT YOU HAD ON.
HE POINTED OTT TO THE FACT THAT
PIPELINES AND, FRANKLY, ALL THE
PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA OF FOSSIL FUELS IS
DONE CLEANER AND GREENER HERE
THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
SO THIS TRANSFER OF 2 MILLION
BARRELS A DAY OR THE.5 MILLION
BARRELS A DAY OF REDUCTION FROM
THE FEDERAL LANDS OF THE UNITED
STATES TO VLADIMIR PUTIN AND
IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA AND
OPECING PLUS IS BAD ON EVERY
LEVEL.
BAD ON EVERY LEVEL.
JACKIE: THANK YOU FOR BRINGING
UP THAT POINT, BECAUSE IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT.
PART OF THE SHALE REVOLUTION AND
THE FRACKING TECHNOLOGY THAT WE
UNLOCKED SO MUCH RESOURCES UNDER
THE GROUND, THE TACT THAT WE
WERE ABLE TO DO IT MORE
EFFICIENTLY AND IN A SAFER WAY,
THAT’S THE INNOVATION THAT COMES
OUT OF AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY THE.
THAT’S THE INNOVATION THAT THAT
ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO STIFLE.