At the annual Helmerich & Payne Customer Advisory Board event in Nashville on Wednesday, Energy Workforce President Tim Tarpley delivered a presentation on the current state of political affairs and the potential implications of the upcoming presidential election on the energy industry.
Tarpley began with an analysis of the presidential election with potential scenarios for the oil and gas industry in the event of a second term for President Biden or if a Republican candidate assumes the White House. He expressed concern that a second term of the Biden Administration may take a more adversarial position against the fossil fuel industry. This may involve employing a range of strategies, including legislative measures and executive orders, aimed at further constraining industry activity or additional barriers to growth. Conversely, under a Republican Administration, streamlining permitting processes and returning the federal leasing process to its normal operations.
During his presentation, Tarpley delved into the present state of permitting reform and examined the revisions incorporated in the recent debt ceiling deal from earlier this summer. These reforms encompassed updates to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) permitting procedure and the expedited permit approvals for the Mountain Valley Pipeline Project. This project holds particular significance for Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Tarpley underscored the pivotal role that permitting reform plays in enabling the United States to construct natural gas pipelines, execute CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) or hydrogen projects, and facilitate the development of other vital energy infrastructure initiatives.
Tarpley emphasized the importance of the sector’s contributions to U.S. energy security and why the workforce perspective is key in Congressional policy decisions.
“As an industry, we need to be better at telling our story, the story of the more than 650,000 workers in our sector and the story of how those men and women are a major part of guaranteeing energy security not only for the United States but for our friends and allies around the world.” he said,
Tim Tarpley, President, Energy Workforce & Technology Council
Given the important nature of improved and expedited permitting plays in the development of energy infrastructure in the United States, Energy Workforce has dedicated significant advocacy efforts to the issue. In addition to its annual Washington DC Fly-In, Energy Workforce has joined other energy stakeholders to urge Congressional leaders for robust reform.
The event brought together H&P customers from across their North American market.
For those seeking additional in-depth analysis of political affairs and their potential impact on energy services, subscribe to the weekly newsletter, featuring Tarpley’s political update column.
Maria Suarez-Simmons, Senior Director Energy Policy, 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.
