Louisiana Senator Releases Pro-Jobs Energy White Paper

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), chairman of the Senate energy and economic growth subcommittees, has released a white paper making the case for a pro-jobs approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Cassidy’s white paper explains how increased use of natural gas lowers emissions while furthering American economic success, and comes after Democrats proposed the Green New Deal, which is projected to cost trillions of dollars and put millions of Americans out of work.

The document details America’s success in reducing carbon emissions by replacing coal with natural gas as its primary source of electricity; how natural gas supports increased investment in renewable energy sources like wind and solar; and highlights the misconceptions of methane leakage compared to the comparative benefits of natural gas.

“If the Green New Deal is a dream for the left, it is a nightmare for the American people,” said Cassidy, a medical doctor. “It would force middle-class families to tear down their houses, pay higher electricity bills, get rid of their cars, and give up their jobs. Ineffective policies that inflict financial pain on working families are not the answer—ask [French President] Emmanuel Macron.

“Lowering greenhouse gases is important,” he added. “Louisiana loses a football field of land every 100 minutes due to erosion and rising sea level. But the Green New Deal would actually increase global emissions by incentivizing manufacturing to move to high-emitting countries like China.”

Cassidy pointed out that the U.S. is successfully reducing emissions by investing in cleaner-burning natural gas. In turn, this has created high-paying jobs in Louisiana and the U.S.—from natural gas wellheads to export terminals. The nation is demonstrating to the world that families can have lower utility bills, a cleaner environment, and better jobs.

“This is a pro-jobs approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” Cassidy concluded. “Instead of pie-in-the-sky, feel-good pipe dreams, let’s do what data and science say actually works.” The Louisiana senator has aggressively criticized efforts to close natural gas plants and impose carbon taxes and cap-and-trade policies, pointing to the environmental benefits of natural gas and the crucial role it plays in strengthening America’s energy security.

(SOURCE: The Weekly Propane Newsletter, March 4, 2019)