The Council’s Director Government Affairs Maria Suarez served as a panelist at “Meet Alaska,” an event held by the Alaska Alliance in Anchorage, discussing the government affairs advocacy strategy in recent years and highlighting victories on behalf of Member Companies.
Suarez was asked about the Council’s most effective advocacy tools on behalf of the energy services sector. She discussed recent efforts on access to federal lands, engagement with agencies, and its work on regulatory actions. These engagements and results were recently summarized in an article by the Council’s Government Affairs team. Another key tool the Council uses is its annual Washington DC Fly-In, an extensive three-day program with Congressional member meetings to discuss legislation that affects the industry.
Suarez was asked about the Council’s bipartisan advocacy efforts in Texas, where many Congressional Democrats are supportive of industry issues. She discussed how the Council worked closely with Rep. Lizzie Fletcher’s office on the REGROW Act, which funds state orphaned well-plugging programs, as well as the Council’s efforts to connect Congressional members with facility tours in their districts.
Before “Meet Alaska,” Suarez spoke on another panel “It’s Not Easy Being Green” about the energy services sector’s role in the clean energy future.
Regarding opportunities for energy services companies, Suarez focused on technologies and people. In the technology area, energy services will be engaging in the decarbonization of oil and gas production, accelerating the transition and extending the frontier of new energies. She added that the energy transition “is a way for companies to position themselves as they try to recruit a younger workforce” as they look to engage a new generation of workers.
On barriers to the energy transition, Suarez said:
“We’re going to need a lot of minerals to make the products needed for this transition. 70-90% of all critical minerals are processed in China. Imagine if what’s happening now in Europe happened to China. We’d have none of the critical minerals we need.”
Maria Suarez, Energy Workforce & Technology Council
If you are interested in joining the Council on its annual Washington, DC Fly-In or learning more about the Government Affairs Committee, please contact Director Government Affairs Maria Suarez.
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