API Calls on Incoming Administration and Congress to Seize the American Energy Opportunity

WASHINGTON, January 14, 2025 – The American Petroleum Institute (API) today held its annual State of American Energy event, urging the incoming Trump administration and Congress to seize the American Energy Opportunity by advancing commonsense energy policies. Following an election where American voters sent a clear message in support of U.S. energy leadership, policymakers and industry leaders discussed how a pro-energy Washington can chart a new path forward through API’s Five Point Policy Roadmap.

“As this election made clear, energy was on the ballot—and American energy won,” API President and CEO Mike Sommers said in his keynote address. “From coast to coast, voters embraced a future where American energy thrives—prioritizing our own resources over foreign imports, empowering consumers to make their own choices about what to drive and how to cook, streamlining permitting to support big projects, and ensuring our allies can rely on U.S. energy leadership instead of turning to our adversaries.”

Sommers highlighted a number of pressing energy issues for the incoming administration and Congress to begin to address on Day One.

“The LNG pause sets up the incoming Trump administration for one of the easiest policy layups ever—walk in on Day One and hit the ‘play’ button on American LNG again,” Sommers said. “We also look forward to a refreshed offshore leasing program that is robust enough to secure America’s energy future.”

The event featured conversations with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) on how Washington can reinstate commonsense energy policies. Small business owners and workers across the supply chain highlighted how energy is essential to everyday life.

API has outlined more than 70 concrete policy solutions for the incoming administration and Congress, including: 

• Repeal the EPA tailpipe rules and the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards while revoking the Waiver for California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACCII) rule.

• Lift the LNG export permitting pause and swiftly process all pending permits to ensure the open access of American energy to global markets. According to a new study from S&P Global, the U.S. LNG industry has contributed more than $400 billion to GDP over the past decade, supports roughly 275,000 jobs, and represents roughly $34 billion in exports. 

• Issue a new 5-year offshore leasing program, restore pro-energy onshore leasing rules and repeal EPA’s methane fee. Robust offshore oil and natural gas development could generate over $8 billion in additional government revenue by 2040 under congressionally directed lease sales.

• Pass comprehensive permitting reform, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reform, judicial reform and Clean Water Act reform. According to Rystad, more than $34 billion in infrastructure investments have been delayed due to unpredictable federal review processes.

• Advance sensible tax policy by retaining the corporate tax rate, maintaining and extending tax provisions for domestic infrastructure investment and preserving crucial international tax provisions.

To learn more about API’s roadmap for America’s energy future, click here.

For a copy of API President and CEO Mike Sommers’ remarks, click here.

API represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry, which supports nearly 11 million U.S. jobs and is backed by a growing grassroots movement of millions of Americans. Our approximately 600 members produce, process and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy, and participate in API Energy Excellence®, which is accelerating environmental and safety progress by fostering new technologies and transparent reporting. API was formed in 1919 as a standards-setting organization and has developed more than 800 standards to enhance operational and environmental safety, efficiency and sustainability.

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