Bill Text: NJ AR103 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges federal government to approve construction of oil and natural gas pipelines within United States including those that have been shut down or have had approval denied.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 26-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-24 - Motion Affirm Ruling of the Chair(42-34-0) [AR103 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-AR103-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ROBERT AUTH
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman DEANNE C. DEFUCCIO
District 39 (Bergen and Passaic)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblymen Wirths, Clifton, Assemblywoman McCarthy Patrick, Assemblyman Rooney, Assemblywoman Sawyer, Assemblymen McGuckin, Catalano, Bergen, Scharfenberger, Barranco, Rumpf, DiMaio, Thomson, Assemblywoman Dunn, Assemblymen Simonsen, McClellan and Assemblywoman Matsikoudis
SYNOPSIS
Urges federal government to approve construction of oil and natural gas pipelines within United States, including those that have been shut down or have had approval denied.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the federal government to approve construction of oil and natural gas pipelines, including those that have been shut down or have had approval denied.
Whereas, The United States relies, and will continue to rely for many years, on gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel despite the recent focus on renewable energy and alternative sources of energy; and
Whereas, In order to fuel the country's economy, the United States will need more oil and natural gas while also requiring additional alternative energy sources; and
Whereas, Constructing more pipelines within the United States would help the country achieve greater energy independence and enhance national security by reducing reliance on energy from the Middle East, Russia, and Venezuela; and
Whereas, Oil from the Middle East, Russia, and Venezuela comes with increased price volatility and requires partnerships with unstable regimes and leaders with competing political interests; and
Whereas, Constructing more pipelines within the United States would also result in lower oil prices and provide a significant economic advantage to the United States; and
Whereas, Pipelines are the safest way to transport fuel and are also the most environmentally secure method of doing so, as they emit far less pollution than the alternatives of trains or trucks; and
Whereas, The Congressional Research Service, within the Library of Congress, estimates that transporting crude oil by pipeline is significantly more cost-effective than the transportation of crude oil by train or truck; and
Whereas, The construction and operation of new pipelines would provide much-needed employment for citizens of the United States; and
Whereas, The United States has achieved significant levels of energy independence in recent years, with domestic production of petroleum accounting for 94 percent of domestic consumption in 2019 and net imports reaching their lowest level since 1954; and
Whereas, As oil reserves are dwindling in several major oil producing countries, the United States maintains the tenth largest proven oil reserves in the world and Canada maintains the third largest according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration with 98 percent of the oil exported by Canada in 2019 being sent to the United States; and
Whereas, On March 29, 2019, President Trump issued a Presidential Permit to begin construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would have connected the United States oil supply to oil fields in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta, providing oil to the United States at a rate of up to 830,000 barrels per day; and
Whereas, Securing and fostering a mutually beneficial trade relationship with Canada, one of this country's strongest allies and neighbors, with regard to these oil supplies, would have increased the country's energy independence, lowered the cost of gasoline, produced up to 11,000 high-paying jobs for United States citizens, and resulted in more stable trade relationships; and
Whereas, On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order to revoke the permit for construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline; and
Whereas, Halting the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline and other large pipelines can result in global economic consequences; and
Whereas, The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia, has forced the United States, and other European nations to impose strict economic sanctions on Russia, including decertifying the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline; and
Whereas, The Nord Stream 2 Pipeline stretches for 1,200 kilometres from Vyborg, Russia through the Baltic Sea to Lubmin, Germany and was designed to carry natural gas from Russia to Western Europe; and
Whereas, The decertification of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline will result in severe economic losses and minimize Russia's geostrategic control over European nations through its supply of gas, however, it will likely also lead to global economic consequences; and
Whereas, It is more important than ever for the United States to increase its energy independence; and
Whereas, Based on the geopolitical, energy security, environmental, and economic benefits of oil and natural gas pipeline construction within the United States, it is in the country's, and by extension New Jersey's, best interests to support the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines, including the approval of pipelines that have been shut down or disapproved, within the United States; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House urges the federal government to take action to approve the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines within the United States, including approving pipelines that have been shut down or disapproved.
2. Copies of this
resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the
Clerk of the General Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United
States, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker
and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the
Secretary of the United States Department of Energy, and every member of
Congress elected from this State.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the federal government to take action to approve the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines within the United States, including approving pipelines that have been shut down or disapproved.
The United States relies, and will continue to rely for many years, on gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel despite the recent focus on renewable energy and alternative sources of energy. In order to fuel the country's economy, the United States will need more oil and natural gas while also developing additional alternative energy sources. Constructing more pipelines within the United States would help the country achieve energy independence and enhance national security by reducing reliance on energy from the Middle East, Russia, and Venezuela. Constructing more pipelines within the United States would also result in lower oil prices and provide a significant economic advantage to the United States.
Although the United States has achieved significant levels of energy independence in recent years, there is always room to improve the country's energy independence. Steps have been taken to create greater North American energy independence, including the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would have connected the United States oil supply to oil fields in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Alberta, providing oil at a rate of up to 830,000 barrels per day. The Keystone XL Pipeline would have increased the United States' energy independence, lowered the cost of gasoline, produced up to 11,000 high-paying jobs for United States citizens, and resulted in more stable trade relationships. President Trump issued a Presidential Permit to begin construction on the cross-border segment of the Keystone XL Pipeline, however, the permit for this construction was revoked by President Biden. The reapproval and continued construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline is very important for the energy independence of the United States.
In addition, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia has resulted in global tension and fear. The United States and other European nations have responded by enforcing strict economic sanctions on Russia. One of the sanctions is the decertification of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, which stretches for 1,200 kilometres from Vyborg, Russia through the Baltic Sea to Lubmin, Germany and was designed to carry natural gas from Russia to Western Europe. The decertification of the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline will likely also have global economic consequences. It is more important than ever for the United States to become more energy independent.
Based on the geopolitical, energy security, environmental, and economic benefits of oil and natural gas pipeline construction within the United States, it is in the country's, and by extension New Jersey's, best interests to support the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines, including the approval of pipelines that have been shut down or disapproved, within the United States.
