Congresswoman Tenney Introduces American Energy is Global Security Act to Lower Costs, Protect American Energy Independence
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22) today introduced the American Energy is Global Security Act to lower costs for American consumers, power New York State into the future, and secure American energy independence. The bill would incentivize New York to repeal the statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing by withholding funding from certain federal grant programs.
Much of Central New York, Western New York, and the Southern Tier lie above the Marcellus Shale and the deeper Utica Shale formations. These resources have allowed neighboring Pennsylvania to become the 2nd largest natural gas producer in the United States, accounting for 20.5% of all domestic natural gas production. This energy development now supports 480 thousand Pennsylvania jobs and collects over $500 million for statewide environmental protection funding. Similarly, these formations could power New York for decades and help restore economic prosperity to the region.
Despite any firm environmental evidence, the administration of disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo implemented a blanket statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing. The ban was then officially established in 2015 by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and codified in 2020 by the New York State legislature. This baseless anti-energy policy has stopped our state from accessing a local lower-carbon energy source with the potential to meet the state’s energy needs for decades and provide necessary economic development to Upstate New York communities. It is time for the repeal of this failed ban and a return to a fact-driven energy policy.
“New York State is sitting on top of natural gas formations that could power our state with clean energy for decades,” said Tenney. “Unfortunately, far-left policies in Albany and Washington have severely limited our ability to safely tap into these reserves, threatening America’s energy independence, raising prices for consumers, and killing thousands of well-paying jobs. As Americans struggle with record-high costs due to Joe Biden and Kathy Hochul’s energy and economic illiteracy, it is time we take actions to reverse this disaster and restore our nation’s energy independence. Americans need clean energy at lower costs now, and delivering on this commitment can and should start right here in New York.”
Strong support for Tenney’s bill:
“I applaud Representative Tenney for taking a strong stand in support of domestic energy production through the introduction of the American Energy is Global Security Act,” said New York state Senator George Borrello (SD-57). “Americans everywhere are suffering from the costly consequences of damaging policies in Democrat-run states that have prohibited new energy exploration, denied pipeline permits, and engaged in other obstructionist efforts that have limited the supply and driven up the price of oil and clean natural gas to power our homes, cars and businesses. In caving to the demands of radical environmentalists, these state leaders have undermined our economy and national security. Restricting federal grant funds is an appropriate way to hold them accountable.”
“Natural gas is foundational to continued environmental, economic and national security gains. Across the Appalachian Basin, the natural gas industry is advancing innovative ways to efficiently produce, transport and utilize this critical resource, both at home and abroad. The benefits of natural gas development go beyond the clean energy it can unleash and the chemicals it provides as the necessary feedstock to the products we use every day. Nearly everyone’s lives are enhanced by this tremendous resource, including every-day consumers, tens of thousands of royalty owners/farmers who partner with industry, countless workers and construction trades who are employed with life-sustaining wages by the industry, and our allies abroad who depend on the United States’ natural gas to meet their critical energy needs. It is irrefutable that lives are improved by this domestic resource, and we should do everything in our power to ensure and promote its continued development for years to come,” said David Callahan, President of the Marcellus Shale Coalition.
Specifically, the American Energy is Global Security Act would withhold federal funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program administered by the Department of Energy (DOE) for any state with a statewide fracking ban in place.
The bill’s text is available here.
A one-pager on the bill is available here.
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