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Council Team Meets With Lawmakers During Visit to Washington, DC

The Council’s Government Affairs team traveled to Washington, DC last week to discuss important issues affecting Council Member Companies with legislators and executive branch officials. Council CEO Leslie Beyer was joined by SVP Government Affairs Tim Tarpley, and Directors Government Affairs Maria Suarez and Deidre Kohlrus. Council Board Member and Policy Committee Chair Matt Armstrong, Baker Hughes, Council Advisory Board Member Todd Ennenga, Halliburton, and Council Policy Committee Member Melissa Russell, Caterpillar, joined the Council’s staff for face-to-face meetings with lawmakers.

The trip was also an opportunity to prepare for the Council’s annual Washington, DC Fly-In, which will take place October 25-27.

The Council team met with Ambassador Virginia Palmer, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources at the U.S. Department of State, Rep. Michael Burgess (TX-26), Rep. Kelly Armstrong (ND-AL) and Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC-5), who is the ranking member on the House Committee on Education and Labor, along with staff representatives from the office of Rep. David McKinley (WV-1). The Council team also continued its engagement working against the administration’s Federal Lands leasing moratorium with meetings with the Senate Energy and Commerce Committee, the House Natural Resources, Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) and the Congressional Western Caucus. 

In these meetings, the Council shared results of the latest diversity and inclusion study, which highlights the U.S. energy technology and services sector’s progress in recruitment and retention of women and minorities. Legislators appreciated the opportunity to use the Council as a primary resource for this valuable diversity and inclusion data.

The Council also highlighted the sector’s investments in new technologies that are leading the energy transition and creating a cleaner and more resilient energy future. Carbon capture technology, geothermal and hydrogen innovation were just some of the Council Member Company projects of interest to lawmakers. Additionally, the Council expressed its concerns with the CLEAN Future Act and potential tax provisions targeting the energy industry, such as intangible drilling costs. The Federal Lands Coalition continued to pressure the Department of Interior to comply with the law, and hold oil and gas lease sales on federal lands, which have been paused since early 2021. 

Legislators and Biden Administration officials were supportive and engaged on the issues the Council prioritized in these meetings. Members of Congress encouraged continued engagement on Capitol Hill through organized meetings like the Washington, DC Fly-In. The Council’s team was also asked to maintain open communication with legislators and share additional data or projects the Council’s Member Companies were taking the lead on to advance the energy transition. 

If your company has a new technology or investment the Council could highlight to reemphasize the sectors commitment to leading a cleaner more resilient energy future, contact SVP Government Affairs & Counsel Tim Tarpley


Deidre Kohlrus, Director Government Affairs, writes about industry-specific policies for the Energy Workforce & Technology Council. Click here to subscribe to the Council’s newsletter, which highlights sector-specific issues, best practices, Council activities and more.
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