In recent years, the United States has made significant progress when it comes to energy production and exports, Remarkably, this past September the U.S. made history when it exported more petroleum products than it imported for the first time since EIA records began in 1949. Earlier this week, President Trump spoke about oil and natural gas during the State of the Union and stated:
“Thanks to our bold regulatory reduction campaign, the United States has become the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world, by far. With the tremendous progress we have made over the past three years, America is now energy independent, and energy jobs, like so many other elements of our country, are at a record high.”
Multiple sources, including WNEP and FactCheck, were quick to question the President’s statement because the U.S. became the number one producer of oil and natural gas in the world in 2013. What these skeptics fail to consider, however, is the “by far” part of the quote. It is true that under President Trump’s administration the country’s dominance in energy has significantly increased.
The U.S. went from 26,772,044 million cubic feet or natural gas marketed production to 32,823,295 million cubic feet, which is also the highest it has ever been in the history of the United States. This is in no small part due to the fact that President Trump signed off on the Dakota Access Pipeline, which now transports 570,000 barrels of oil per day from the Bakken oilfields in North Dakota to consumers in the Midwest. This growth is especially felt in states like Pennsylvania, whose energy sector supports 300,000 direct and indirect jobs and contributes $45 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy.
Natural gas is the second-largest source of energy consumed in the U.S. and remains critical to the function and economic success of the country. Americans should take time to celebrate this significant achievement and continue to embrace energy opportunities that will further stimulate the American economy.