Post Image

TEA Factsheet: America’s Common Sense Energy Agenda

March 17, 2025

#1 – Adopt The ARC Energy Security Act. Why it matters: America is the economic leader of the world and requires a massive energy supply to sustain growth and foster the freedom and prosperity that inspires people everywhere. American natural gas provides Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy Security that improves the environment while keeping us secure and independent. This legislation establishes natural gas clean standards for ALL other affordable and reliable energy to achieve. The ARC Energy Security Act is model legislation for states and local governments.

  • The ARC Energy Security Act model legislation offered by the American Legislative Exchange Council gives states and local governments a blueprint to embrace common-sense energy principles at home without waiting for a top-down solution from Washington D.C. (“The Affordable, Reliable And Clean Energy Security Act,” American Legislative Exchange Council, Finalized 9/24/24)
  • As National Review put it, The ARC Energy Security model aims “to redirect the vital and contentious issue of American energy away from its Washington, D.C., battleground and to the 50 states, for the purpose of providing we the people a greater and more-localized say in energy security.” (Jack Fowler, “The Case for Energy Security Finds an Ally, and Leadership, in Federalism,” National Review, 9/26/24)

#2 – Cut Red Tape And Embrace “Build, Baby, Build” For Nuclear, New Refineries, And New Infrastructure. Why it matters: Bureaucracy, Regulation and Red Tape are the enemies of Energy Security. We must eliminate overreaching roadblocks and focus on energizing existing and new technologies that meet the ARC Energy Security standard, like nuclear power for electricity generation, new refineries to increase production of refined petroleum products, and new infrastructure such as pipelines, export terminals, and electric grid improvements.

  • A study from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy found tremendous opportunity from nuclear energy. Nuclear power has proven to be an affordable, reliable and clean energy source producing electricity that is nearly emission-free. While hydrocarbons supplied 60% of the United States’ electricity in 2023, nuclear power supplied less than 20%. The room for growth in nuclear power is huge. (Jason Hayes and Timothy G. Nash, “Grading the Grid,” Mackinac Center for Public Policy, 2024)
  • A Department of Energy study estimated that the U.S. needs to expand transmission lines 60% by 2030 and triple the lines available by 2050 to meet growing demand. If we don’t build these lines, it stalls economic development, new housing and makes our grid less reliable. (“Queued Up… But in Need of Transmission,” S. Department of Energy, 4/24)
  • According to the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, pipeline systems are the safest means to move oil and gas products. “Pipeline systems are the safest means to move these products. The federal government rededicated itself to pipeline safety in 2006 when the PIPES Act was signed. It mandates new methods and makes commitments for new technologies to manage the integrity of the nation’s pipelines and raise the bar on pipeline safety.” (“General Pipeline FAQs,” U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Updated 11/6/18)

#3 – Unleash Technology That Turns Waste To Energy And Cleans Our Air And Water. Why it matters: Humanity has a garbage and plastic problem that can be solved by turning it into clean energy and with recycling. Cost effective capture and use of methane emissions as fuel from landfills, water treatment plants, animal waste and other sources is a tangible way to improve our environment. Instead of incentivizing programs that waste taxpayer money and barely move the needle on environmental protection, we should unleash private sector ingenuity and technology to change the world through plastics recycling and innovative use of garbage. In TEA’s vision of the future, landfills are small, and the Texas-sized plastic garbage whirlpool in the Pacific Ocean will not exist.

  • Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is a clean, affordable and reliable waste-derived fuel that can be used to power homes, businesses and even vehicles. “Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) is, by definition, a clean, affordable and reliable waste-derived fuel that can be used to power homes, businesses and even vehicles. How does it work? Every community in America produces waste. As that waste breaks down, it emits methane, which is a naturally occurring, but potent and harmful greenhouse gas (GHG). RNG projects capture this methane from existing food waste, animal manure, wastewater sludge and garbage, and redirect it away from the environment, repurposing it as a clean, green energy source. Made from matter that is already decomposing right under our feet, RNG is the product of pure innovation and ingenuity.” (Renewable Natural Gas, Coalition For Renewable Natural Gas, Accessed 3/12/25)
  • Focus and investment in plastics recycling technologies is another way to reduce the use of hydrocarbons. Recycling plastics both reduces the need to produce new plastics that are derived from hydrocarbons. And, beyond the reduction of plastic waste, recycling of plastics also produces a potential for new sources of fuel. (Florence Jones, “Plastic pyrolysis: Producing liquid fuels from waste plastic,” Power Technology, 9/21/23)

#4 – Fuel America With American Fuel. Natural Gas Is Safe And Affordable For Transportation. Why it matters: The conversion of any internal combustion engine to use compressed natural gas is readily available with inexpensive technology. The U.S. has over 250 million vehicles of all sizes facilitating commerce, business, community, and personal needs. School buses, long-haul, garbage, delivery, and work trucks, plus any vehicle where a natural gas fuel tank is easily added provide the best economics and environmental return. Lower fuel and maintenance costs are direct benefits of fully converted or hybrid vehicles while emissions are cut by 25% or more. This is a commonsense solution that provides conversion jobs and infrastructure jobs through the addition of compressed natural gas pumps and fueling stations for communities and highways.

  • There are more than 135,000 natural gas vehicles on U.S. roads today and more than 23 million worldwide. Many of these are fleet vehicles. In the U.S., there are: over 14,000 natural gas transit buses, over 17,000 natural gas refuse trucks, and more than 150 U.S. school districts operating 5,500 natural gas-powered vehicles in their fleets. (The Transport Project, Accessed 3/17/25)
  • Natural gas, when used as a transportation fuel, can emit up to 25 percent less carbon per unit energy than conventional gasoline. (“Alternative Low / No Carbon Fuels,” Environmental and Energy Study Institute, Accessed 3/12/25)

#5 – Expand STEM And Build The Future Energy Force. Why it matters: Energy Workers, or as TEA calls them Energy Force, earn our respect akin to first responders given their importance to sustaining our daily lives and providing for our energy security and freedom. Affordable, Reliable and Clean Energy Security requires the workforce necessary to innovate, design, build and maintain it. We should promote the importance of energy jobs and boost STEM education in early years combined with trade skills that creates an Energy Force that spans Engineers and Chemists to Welders and Front-line Workers.

  • “STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education is essential to the modern energy workforce. From solar panel installers and plant operators to laboratory researchers and engineers, the success of our nation’s energy goals depends on STEM careers.” (“STEM and Universities,” S. Department of Energy, Accessed 2/19/24)
  • The U.S. oil and natural gas industry supports 10.9 million American jobs. (“Powering the Workforce of the Future,” American Petroleum Institute, Accessed 2/19/24)
  • A July 2020 survey of “both union and non-union” tradespeople reported that oil and gas jobs “have better wages, benefits and opportunities than renewables projects.” “In July the NABTU—whose affiliates include the Teamsters and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—released two surveys of workers and statistics that analyze jobs across the energy economy. They found that ‘both union and non-union’ tradespeople report that oil and gas jobs ‘have better wages, benefits and opportunities than renewables projects.’” (Editorial, “About Joe’s Energy Jobs,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/24/20)