Following the latest presidential debate where President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden sparred over the future of fossil fuels in our energy future, Anne Bradbury, AXPC’s CEO released the following statement:
“The American oil and gas industry employs millions of Americans and supports our states and local communities through billions in revenue that goes to public education, health care, and first responders. Oil and natural gas provide our country with energy security for global diplomacy and our world with a clean environment through the increased use of natural gas and US LNG – especially in developing nations looking to lift their citizens out of poverty.
“Our industry has over 150 years of innovation and entrepreneurship – the bedrock of American values. We work hard every day to deliver affordable and reliable energy and be good stewards of our environment.
“We are proud of our contributions and remain steadfast in our commitment to meeting the dual challenge of reliable affordable energy and the global low carbon future. We aren’t going anywhere.”
BACKGROUND:
Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Drilling are Innovative Technologies used around the U.S.
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- More than 95 percent of U.S. natural gas and oil wells today are developed using hydraulic fracturing.
- According to the Bureau of Land Management, onshore federal lands produce about 8 percent of the nation’s oil and 9 percent of its natural gas.
- Clean natural gas largely contributed to U.S. CO2 emissions being at the lowest levels in a generation. Drivers of growth in natural gas production include technological advancements, new investments, and regulations encouraging its use.
- Our companies have the lowest emissions in the world: According to the EPA, from 2005 to 2018, total U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 12 percent. In contrast, global energy-related emissions increased nearly 24 percent during this period.
- Methane emissions from oil and natural gas systems are down 23 percent since 1990, according to the 2020 edition of EPA’s Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks
- Production of natural gas is expected to grow over time, as the demand for natural gas continues to grow across the country. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, gas demand for power generation grew from 15.8 billion cubic feet per day in 2005 to 22.2 billion cubic feet per day in 2013. And, growing markets could spur significantly more growth – up to 130 billion cubic feet per day by 2035. Between 29,000 and 62,000 miles of new pipeline is needed over the next 25 years to accommodate the expected demand.
Fracking supports good-paying American jobs across America.
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- U.S. oil and natural gas companies provide 1 million direct upstream onshore jobs, and over 2 million direct, indirect and induced jobs across the country.
- Our industry’s workforce is 33 percent minorities and 20 percent women.
- The average pay in the oil and gas industry is $50,000 higher than the U.S. average.
- Natural gas and oil industry sector-projects are higher paying, provide better health and retirement benefits, have more long-term job growth opportunities, and are more stable careers than jobs in renewable energy, according to a national survey of union and nonunion workers by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU).
Technological advancements like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling further environmental progress.
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- Since 2010, the U.S. shale revolution saw natural gas production nearly double, while U.S. total energy-related CO2 emissions declined significantly.
- Fracking supports reduced air emissions, as greater equipment and engine efficiency and improved technologies mean less energy consumption – thus lower air emissions – per unit of energy produced.
Upstream oil and gas production provides hundreds of thousands of jobs in states across the country and billions of dollars in revenue for state and local economies.
| State | Jobs | State & Local Tax Impacts |
| California | 114,200 | $2.542 billion |
| Colorado | 174,000 | $2.923 billion |
| Louisiana | 67,000 | $985 million |
| New Mexico | 64,400 | $1.298 billion |
| North Dakota | 53,400 | $1.265 billion |
| Ohio | 68,200 | $913 million |
| Oklahoma | 278,800 | $3,977 billion |
| Pennsylvania | 88,800 | $3.786 billion |
| Texas | 1,247,428 | $43,771 billion |
| Utah | 20,000 | $309 million |
| West Virginia | 35,000 | $535 million |
About the American Exploration and Production Council:
AXPC is a national trade association representing the largest independent oil and natural gas exploration and production companies in the United States. We lead the world in the cleanest and safest onshore production of oil and gas, while supporting millions of Americans in high-paying jobs and investing a wealth of resources in our communities. Learn more at https://axpc.org/