Energy policy in the United States should focus on lifting up people | Opinion

President Trump has repeatedly emphasized his commitment to making America a dominant player in the world energy markets. This rhetoric has underpinned a set of policies designed to deregulate and encourage oil and gas activity.

While much has been accomplished, much work remains to free our energy markets and empower consumers and businesses to make their own energy choices. As the Trump administration moves forward, its approach to energy policy could not be more different than the previous administration’s.

With the change in policy comes new opportunities for the energy industry to achieve its full potential.

Energy is so thoroughly woven into our daily lives that few will ever question whether it will be there or where it comes from. Petroleum plays an integral role in nearly every aspect of our lives. Oil-based products are likely the first thing you touch at the beginning and end of each day, whether it is your alarm clock, television remote, cellphone or even the toothpaste and toothbrush you use to brush your teeth.

Those who wear makeup or synthetic fibers, such as polyester or nylon, are using or touching petroleum nearly 24 hours a day. As a key component in heart valves, seat belts, helmets, life vests and even Kevlar, petroleum is saving tens of thousands of lives daily. Furthermore, oil and gas are key components in many medicines and antibiotics such as antiseptics, antihistamines, aspirin and sulfa drugs.

The oil and gas industry has done such a good job of creating abundant, affordable, always-available energy that the world takes it for granted. Because energy is so reliable and available, some think we no longer require it. We encounter this paradox anytime we hear from those who want to end oil and gas production but still want to benefit from oil and gas-based materials and fuels.

What Americans expect and deserve are the facts. And the fact is, recent history has disproved the false premise that economic growth and significant increases in energy production must, necessarily, come at the expense of environmental improvement.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American oil and natural gas producers have reduced methane emissions by 37% since 2015 while increasing natural gas production by 51% and oil production 80% over that same time frame.

Today, the U.S. produces more oil per day than any single nation has ever achieved. The U.S. is not only the world leader in energy production, but we also lead the world in environmental quality. The six major pollutants monitored by the EPA have plunged 77% since 1970.

Over the same period, the U.S. economy grew by 285%, vehicle miles traveled increased 195%, population increased by 60%, and energy use increased by 48%.

Here’s the key point: when a country becomes the leading producer of oil and natural gas and has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 70% in 10 years, it is clearly doing many things right. The oil and natural gas industry has proven that over the long-term, we can lead the world in energy production and environmental stewardship.

The fundamental change under the Trump administration is that market realities and a respect for consumers and their preferences drive smarter regulations that focus on protecting the environment and growing the economy. All Americans benefit from a safe, environmentally responsible and thriving oil industry. And it is important to let market forces, not government mandates, drive energy policies.

The U.S. has a unique opportunity to show the world how energy abundance can be used as a positive force to lift people up, which is different than a zero-emissions world. More than a billion people around the world face challenges for adequate food and education, clean water and protection from heat and cold due to a lack of access to energy. We should work to ensure more people have access to safe, affordable and reliable energy, no matter which state, nation or continent they reside. Because to rise out of poverty and enjoy health and safety, people need more energy, not less.

We should set aside the acrimony and division that has marked too much of past national energy policy discussions and work together as one nation on a positive forward-looking energy future based on the understanding that our nation’s best energy future can only be achieved through a true all of the above energy strategy.

We need a new American understanding of energy and with it a national energy policy based on science, the free market and entrepreneurial spirit.

Future generations are looking to us to get our nation’s energy policy right. They’re counting on us to leave them with a country that is second to none in energy production, security and economic prosperity.

Edward Cross lives in Silver Lake and has a long work history in the oil and gas industry.