Thought to be a lofty goal in the 1980s, energy independence should no longer be the aim of America, says Scott Angelle.
“The country can find its energy vision by not settling for the 1980s goal of energy independence,” Angelle told the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association on Tuesday, The Advertiser reports. “We’re seeking energy dominance.”
Angelle, a Breaux Bridge Republican appointed this year as director of the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, oversees offshore energy production in the Gulf of Mexico.
The former secretary of Louisiana’s Department of Natural Resources says more than 98% of U.S. offshore energy production occurs in the Gulf, which he referred to as the “Gulf of America” because of its production prowess. BSEE, he says, must “adjust its sails” to help producers succeed. The Trump administration can do that by helping private producers land capital for their drilling and production projects, reforming regulations and revisiting the rules. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean relaxing environmental protections, he adds.
“We can’t afford to have capital decisions made because of slow action by the government,” Angelle says. “When all of us are standing in line too long, we give up.”
