Consumers, Businesses, and Manufacturers Voice Support for Offshore Energy

BusinessWire | November 3, 2016

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a letter sent to U.S. President Barack Obama and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell today, groups representing consumers, businesses, and manufacturers from across the country urged the Obama administration to preserve its proposed 2017-2022 offshore oil and natural gas lease sales for the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s Beaufort and Chukchi Seas and Cook Inlet without any additional removals and not to take any executive actions that would remove these or any other areas from consideration under future offshore leasing programs. A decision on the 2017-2022 leasing program is expected in November.

Spearheaded by Consumer Energy Alliance in partnership with the National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the letter effort secured 107 signatories representing a multitude of sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and construction.

“Thanks to the U.S. Energy Revolution, American families and businesses have more energy security and are more energy self-sufficient today than we have been in decades – despite efforts by a few vocal agitators who want to stop any and all energy development at the expense of American jobs, businesses and families across the nation,” said Consumer Energy Alliance President David Holt. “The broad geographic and economic spectrum reflected in today’s letter underscores the critical importance of America’s offshore energy resources to a multitude of communities and businesses throughout the economy. We need to start adopting common-sense approaches that support rational, logical, fact-based dialogue and reject a “just say NO” energy strategy. It is time we take accountability through responsible energy development that protects not only the environment but hard-working people in our communities.”

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