11.07.24

Hoeven Outlines Priorities to Restore U.S. Energy Dominance at GNDC Conference

DICKINSON, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today addressed the Greater North Dakota Chamber’s (GNDC) Build & Beyond conference, where he outlined his priorities for the upcoming Congress and new administration. In particular, the senator discussed the need to unlock the nation’s energy potential, restore U.S. energy dominance and empower the country to utilize all of its abundant energy resources, including coal, oil and natural gas. To this end, Hoeven highlighted the importance of:

  • Rescinding burdensome federal rules imposed during the Biden administration, which have locked away taxpayer-owned lands and minerals and increased energy production costs.
    • Hoeven pointed to the regulatory relief previously provided under the Trump administration, which resulted in the U.S. becoming a net energy exporter, as the kind of policies that are needed to make the nation energy secure and bring down inflation.
  • Ensuring more timely, less cost-prohibitive federal approvals for energy development and energy infrastructure projects. Accordingly, Hoeven is sponsoring:
    • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mineral Spacing Act, which would remove duplicative BLM permitting regulations and better respect the rights of private mineral holders.
    • The North American Energy Act, a bill to prevent unnecessary delays for important cross-border energy projects, such as pipelines and transmission lines.
    • Legislation to streamline and set deadlines for multi-agency National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews of natural gas pipelines and liquid natural gas (LNG) projects needed to get energy to market.
  • Supporting access to affordable and reliable baseload electricity, including from coal-fired power plants.
    • Hoeven continues working to strengthen North Dakota’s role as a leader in the development of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies to help secure the future of the state’s coal industry.

“Through regulatory relief, lower taxes and legal certainty, the U.S. can be energy dominant once again. We’ve proven this time and again, both in North Dakota and across the nation under the Trump administration,” said Hoeven “We can get there by rolling back the multitude of harmful policies imposed by the Biden administration on our energy industry, while advancing additional regulatory relief to streamline the federal approval process. That’s how we will empower our country to make good use of all of its abundant energy resources, including our vast coal, oil and gas reserves.”

Advancing Regulatory Relief

            Hoeven discussed how the new Congress and incoming administration offer the opportunity to roll back overreaching and costly federal policies, such as those that:

  • Target natural gas and coal-fired electric, including the:
    • Methane Rule & Natural Gas Tax.
    • Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule.
    • Clean Power Plan 2.0.
    • Water Discharge Rule.
    • Coal Ash Rule.
  • Restrict access to, and increase the cost of developing, taxpayer-owned lands and resources, like the:
    • Public Lands Rule.
    • BLM’s Updated Resource Management Plan (RMP) for North Dakota.
    • BLM Onshore Oil and Gas Rule.
    • BLM Venting and Flaring Rule.

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