Letter to the editor

This week (Feb. 17) brings welcome news for Louisiana in the form of Sen. Mary Landrieu’s ascension to chair of the Senate Energy Committee. For the propane industry, our economy and state’s future, there could not be a more significant development.
Landrieu is the first Louisianan to hold the coveted Energy gavel since Sen. J. Bennett Johnston Jr. nearly 20 years ago. Given her unparalleled record of protecting the oil and gas industry as our senior senator, there’s no question she will continue to be a staunch proponent of domestic energy production in her new position.
It will be difficult to find a sitting senator who has done more to advance the interests of the oil and gas business than Landrieu. She has voted against unfair taxes and undue regulations that would stifle oil and gas production. She has stood up to presidents from both political parties, and on at least four occasions has been a crucial vote to prevent raising taxes on oil and gas.
Landrieu has led the fight to encourage more production of domestic energy, and her signature legislation, the Domenci-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Security Act, known as GOMESA, was perhaps the most significant legislative accomplishment to benefit the oil and gas industry in decades. The act opened 8.3 million acres offshore for drilling, the first time we opened new areas for drilling in 25 years. For the first time in 50 years, the act implemented revenue sharing for Gulf Coast states like Louisiana that produce energy offshore. As a direct result of GOMESA, Louisiana citizens stand to collect billions of dollars to restore our coast for generations to come.
She also led the fight to end the administration’s moratorium on drilling. Landrieu blocked the appointment of Jack Lew to head the Office of Management and Budget until the moratorium was lifted.
In her role chairing the Energy Committee, Landrieu will be in a stronger position to force construction of the Keystone Pipeline. She has been a vocal supporter of the pipeline because she knows it will increase our energy security, help us become energy independent and create tens of thousands of jobs, many of those in Louisiana.
She’ll be in a prime position to pass the FAIR Act, another of her signature bills that will speed up revenue sharing that passed into law under GOMESA and get rid of the arbitrary $500 million annual cap on revenue collected by coastal energy-producing states like Louisiana. That would mean hundreds of millions of dollars more for coastal restoration.
Louisiana is one of the nation’s leaders in the production of propane and natural gas. As chairman, Landrieu will continue to promote liquid natural gas and propane exports that could ultimately result in billions of dollars of new investments and thousands of jobs in our state.
On behalf of the consumers and producers of Louisiana’s oil and gas resources, we congratulate Sen. Landrieu on this appointment and wish her great success.
Artie Cole
2013-2014 President,
Louisiana Propane Gas
Association
Pineville