Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement by American Gas Association (AGA) President and CEO Dave McCurdy on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s position on job creation, issued at its annual Labor Day briefing:
AGA and its 201 member energy companies, which deliver natural gas to 175 million Americans nationwide, support the call by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the White House and Congress to take action to create jobs by increasing spending on infrastructure, implementing regulatory reforms and easing access to domestic energy resources.
AGA supports the Chambers’ call for increased production of American energy, including continued development of natural gas from shale, which has resulted in many thousands of new jobs in the natural gas industry, as well as billions in royalties and new tax revenue. A thoughtful energy policy—built around increasing production of domestic energy resources (traditional and renewable) as well as investing in modernizing critical energy infrastructure—is essential to securing a healthy economy.
As important as these specific measures are for boosting employment and stimulating economic growth, a demonstrated commitment by President Obama and Congress to long-term fiscal planning is also vitally important for securing the confidence of the businesses community to invest in ways that will generate jobs and stimulate the economy. To these ends, AGA members join with others, including the U.S. Chamber, in calling for America’s political leaders to focus on near-term and long-term solutions to our nation’s serious economic and financial challenges.
AGA and its members stand ready to do their part to get the American economy back on track. Natural gas utilities are investing in the expansion and modernization of the transmission and distribution infrastructure in order to increase the safe, reliable and efficient delivery of natural gas to consumers across the country. These investments are creating jobs today and serving the needs of a growing economy, while also helping to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security.