The Blue Dog Coalition, a congressional caucus made up of moderate Democrats, met with a large group of member company representatives from the Energy Workforce & Technology Council (EWTC) on Wednesday. EWTC members in attendance were: Bruce Miller from SLB, Neal Lux from F-E-T, Todd Ennenga from Halliburton, Chris Olson from Weatherford, and Travis Bolt, Noah Buck and Scott Livingston from NOV. Members of the Blue Dog Coalition, in attendance, were Co-Chair Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13), and Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02) and Katie Phillips, Blue Dogs Coalition Executive Director.
The roundtable was a good opportunity for EWTC members to form relationships with the caucus members who have played a critical role in supporting federal permitting reform efforts and who could have an even more significant role going forward. Discussions centered on how passage of federal permitting reform could help EWTC companies meet the coming energy demand increases in the US and worldwide.
EWTC members discussed challenges with federal permitting, especially with pipelines, as a barrier to investment and meeting energy demand. Rep. Golden(ME-02) led the discussion on the SPEED Act as he is the Democratic Lead in the House. We discussed how we can work to support the overall effort and get it across the finish line this year.
The discussion also touched on tariffs, where EWTC members noted that tariffs are having significant impacts on their ability to manufacture in the United States. EWTC members discussed how they can raise costs for materials like steel and specialized equipment used in energy projects.
EWTC looks forward to continue working with The Blue Dog Coalition as the group will continue to play a meaningful role in closely divided legislative environments, particularly on issues like energy policy where bipartisan cooperation is essential.
Jessica Santos, Director Government Affairs, writes about industry-specific policies for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Energy Workforce newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, activities and more.
