Trump Archives

American Offshore Oil & Gas Production Strengthens the Environment, Benefits All Americans

September 8, 2020 by Justin Williams

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Contact: Justin Williams, (202) 465-8464, jwilliams@nullnoia.org

American Offshore Oil & Gas Production Strengthens the Environment, Benefits All Americans

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the following statement after President Trump announced an extension of the oil and natural gas moratorium in Eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as a new moratorium in areas offshore the Atlantic Coast:

“The American offshore should be the region of choice for energy production. From the outset, it provides high-paying and accessible jobs that are supported in every U.S. state as well as billions of dollars in annual revenue that funds vital programs like the Land & Water Conservation Fund and our beloved national parks. Once offshore energy reaches American refineries, it provides the plastic components that is used in the medical equipment at the front lines of the COVID-19 response, among many other products. The benefits that American offshore oil and gas provide are nonpartisan and touch every American.

“American offshore production produces energy with a comparatively smaller footprint than other producing regions, occurs under the highest level of regulations and standards and does not give rise to issues of environmental justice. Furthermore, daily experience in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico shows how offshore production goes hand-in-hand with environmental stewardship, national defense and other industries, including fishing and tourism.

“Our preference should always be to produce homegrown American energy, instead of deferring future production to countries like Russia and Iran, which do not share American values. Limiting access to our offshore energy resources only shortchanges America and dulls our national outlook.”

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) represents and advances a dynamic and growing offshore energy industry, providing solutions that support communities and protect our workers, the public and our environment.

NEPA Modernization Will Unlock Offshore Wind, Shovel-Ready Energy Jobs

July 15, 2020 by Justin Williams

For Immediate Release: Wednesday July 15, 2020
Contact: Justin Williams, (202) 465-8464, jwilliams@nullnoia.org

NEPA Modernization Will Unlock Offshore Wind, Shovel-Ready Jobs

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Erik Milito issued the following statement regarding the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) update:

“An unprecedented economic crisis needs a historic comeback. The Trump Administration has carefully modernized NEPA so that critical projects can escape endless bureaucratic red tape and lawsuits and get to work with their shovel-ready jobs, while still ensuring a thorough environmental analysis. A smarter NEPA foundation means that many energy and infrastructure projects have the certainty and clarity to finally move forward under the same high level of safety and environmental stewardship Americans demand. A brighter future awaits countless projects, including planned offshore wind farms up and down the Atlantic Coast with the billions of dollars of investment and tens of thousands of American jobs they will bring.

“These changes to NEPA are critically important policy to both investment and environmental stewardship. Our members are ready to work.”

Trump and the Russia Pipeline

July 16, 2018 by Justin Williams

Wall Street Journal | Editorial Board | July 11, 2018

President Trump is so prone to rhetorical excess that he sometimes hurts his own case even when he’s right. A case in point is his shellacking of Germany Wednesday for supporting a new Russian gas pipeline.

“Well, I have to say, I think it’s very sad when Germany makes a massive oil and gas deal with Russia, where you’re supposed to be guarding against Russia, and Germany goes out and pays billions and billions of dollars a year to Russia,” Mr. Trump said during a breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

“And the former Chancellor of Germany is the head of the pipeline company that’s supplying the gas. . . . So you tell me, is that appropriate? [B]ecause I think it’s not, and I think it’s a very bad thing for NATO and I don’t think it should have happened. And I think we have to talk to Germany about it.”

While he then went over the top in saying “Germany is totally controlled by Russia,” Mr. Trump’s rant is an accurate summary of Berlin’s role in the Nord Stream 2 project. The pipeline would link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea, doubling the capacity of the existing pipeline in that corridor, and bypassing other pipelines through Ukraine and central and eastern Europe.

The Kremlin hopes to increase the dependence of Germany and Western Europe on Russian gas while depriving Ukraine and other inconvenient states of the transit fees Russia must pay to use current pipelines. Moscow could then also shut off the gas at will to states Russia still considers its satellites.

The embarrassment for Berlin and NATO is that Germany is happy to help Vladimir Putin execute this plan. Usually hostages need to be taken instead of volunteering. Yet Gerhard Schröder, the former Chancellor Mr. Trump mentioned, is cashing in on his lobbying prowess to ease the project through Berlin as chairman of the Nord Stream 2 consortium and chairman of Russian energy giant Rosneft.

Full op-ed here

Offshore Energy Can Help Power American Greatness

January 30, 2018 by Justin Williams

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Contact: Justin Williams, (202) 465-8464, jwilliams@nullnoia.org

Offshore Energy Can Help Power American Greatness

Washington, D.C. – National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA) President Randall Luthi issued the following statement after President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address:

“Tonight, President Trump delivered his view of where America is and where we are heading. Significant regulatory reforms, including reforms in the energy sector, and the recently signed tax bill are allowing more U.S. companies to compete globally. A booming stock market, low unemployment rate and new bonuses for many Americans all portend a stronger economic future. NOIA appreciates President Trump’s recognition that there is more growth and security we can achieve through American energy dominance.

“American energy dominance can only be accomplished through an all-of-the-above energy strategy. A path towards this goal flows through the administration’s unprecedented 2019-2024 National Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program. The Draft Proposed Program could allow for access to valuable untapped offshore resources that belong to every American. If fully realized, the plan could create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, generate billions in new federal, state and local revenue and deliver affordable and reliable energy produced here in the U.S. under the toughest safety and environmental standards in the world.

“NOIA stands ready to work with President Trump, his administration and Congress in helping fuel the American economy. Together, and with policies in place that maximize American’s access to federal offshore areas, we can strengthen our economy, keep energy affordable for hardworking American families and consumers and cement our position as the global energy leader.”

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ABOUT NOIA

NOIA is the only national trade association representing all segments of the offshore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nation’s outer continental shelf. NOIA’s mission is to secure reliable access and a fair regulatory and economic environment for the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources in an environmentally responsible manner. The NOIA membership comprises about 250 companies engaged in business activities ranging from producing to drilling, engineering to marine and air transport, offshore construction to equipment manufacture and supply, telecommunications to finance and insurance, and renewable energy.

We’ve come a long way since Deepwater Horizon

May 31, 2017 by Justin Williams

Corpus Christi Caller Times | May 31, 2017 | David de Roode

President Trump’s executive order aimed at rolling back efforts to ban oil and natural gas drilling in huge swaths of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans came as welcome relief to our industry. Last month marked the seventh anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident and gulf oil spill. This tragedy continues to provide a powerful reminder that the number one priority of the oil and gas industry is and must always be safety: the safety of our workers, our communities and our shared environment.

The payoffs could be enormous. Several years ago, an independent study by Quest Offshore Resources found that oil and natural gas exploration and development off our Atlantic coast alone, would create nearly 300,000 new jobs, add $24 billion annually to the overall U.S. economy, and contribute more than $50 billion in cumulative government revenue by 2035. Add in reserves located in the Arctic and Pacific oceans and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and those numbers climb even higher.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration made two politically charged decisions that block access to these resources. The first was the “permanent” withdrawal of huge swaths of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The second was a blanket denial of permits to conduct seismic surveys in the Atlantic, claiming environmental concerns which are contradicted by the top scientist at the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) who has cited zero evidence of seismic surveys harming marine life.

Whatever the motivation for these decisions, they were based largely on a faulty premise that the offshore industry can’t explore for and produce oil and natural gas safely. The truth is we’ve learned a lot during the years since the Deepwater Horizon incident both in terms of how to prevent future spills and how to respond more quickly and effectively should one occur. Industry established the Center for Offshore Safety that coordinates and assists the energy industry in seeing that all operations are conducted safely and efficiently. New technologies for prevention and containment have been developed, and new procedures and equipment for a coordinated industry-government response are in place.

The world is going to need a lot more oil and natural gas over the next 25 years. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a 48 percent increase in global energy demand by 2040, and that fossil fuels will meet at least 80 percent of that demand. Think of what that could mean for the U.S. in terms of economic growth and our role in the developing world.

Read the full op-ed here.

David de Roode is a partner and senior vice president at Lockton Global Energy & Marine, a risk management consulting and insurance brokerage firm based in Houston servicing the global energy and marine industries, and a NOIA Board Member.