Leaving Independence Hall following the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a lady cried out to Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy?” To which Franklin famously replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Eleven years after declaring independence, our Founding Fathers had forged the foundation of the great American Experiment. Now, 233 years later, we are signing a new declaration to secure America’s future as an energy independent nation.
Recently, we joined many other officials and candidates across the country in signing The Empowerment Alliance’s Declaration of Energy Independence. The Declaration is a common-sense commitment to four energy principles that can help power America’s economy for everyone over the next century and beyond — affordable energy for our families, clean energy for our environment, abundant energy for our future and domestic energy for our security.
Just as our Founding Fathers were, we too are clear in what we want:
From the jobs created to lower utility bills and cleaner air, affordable energy is fundamental to economic prosperity for all. It is a moral imperative to provide for families who are most vulnerable to increases in their energy budgets.
America leads the world, by a wide margin, in cutting CO2 emissions. America’s plentiful natural gas is the fiscally-sound, reliable and environmentally responsible bridge to our energy future.
Technology and exploration have guaranteed that America has a continuous 100-year supply of natural gas and the potential for even more.
The use of domestic natural gas discovered, produced and refined in the U.S. makes certain America is no longer dependent on rapidly changing global markets and unstable or hostile countries.
Unfortunately, we see a growing movement to simply walk away from the tremendous promise and potential of our country’s natural gas resources, which constitute precious economic and national security assets. Outrageous and expensive schemes like the so-called Green New Deal would place huge burdens on American households, cost our economy trillions and squander the security and independence we have worked so hard to build. Our signatures on the Declaration show the policymakers in this country what’s at stake if those who want to surrender America’s potential for energy independence and leadership in the world actually win.
The national introduction of The Empowerment Alliance’s Declaration of Energy Independence is our bold John Hancock signature letting the world know what we stand for — that affordable, clean and abundant energy is the birthright of every American! The Declaration is a simple statement of purpose; one that can unite millions of Americans on the idea that energy independence is possible and a moral imperative.
These principles are key to powering a 21st century American economy that will benefit all. Consider that America has recently surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s top producer of natural gas and oil and is poised to be a net energy exporter. As a result of the abundance of clean natural gas, natural gas powers over 30% of America’s energy needs and we have reduced our energy trade deficit by 87%. Because of natural gas, America is on its way to energy independence, a boon for our national and economic security.
And, low-cost natural gas is even more critical for American families trying to maximize their budgets, especially in these tough times. Households that use natural gas for heating, cooking and other utilities pay an average of $879 less per year compared to homes using electricity.
But it is not simply that natural gas is a low-cost energy alternative that brings America closer to energy independence — it is also a clean energy alternative that is far more efficient than renewables like wind and solar. The United States is now enjoying its best air quality in the last half century, in part because of the rise of natural gas.
That is why we have signed the Declaration of Energy Independence to reinforce the essential and positive role natural gas plays in the lives of everyday Americans today and will help build a foundation for increased use of natural gas in the future, especially as we rebuild our economy.
We are proud to have signed The Declaration of Energy Independence and commit to advocating for clean, low-cost, domestic energy. I encourage you to visit The Empowerment Alliance’s website and do the same.
Jeff Landry currently serves as the attorney general of Louisiana. Leslie Rutledge currently serves as the attorney general of Arkansas.