American Petroleum Institute chief promises to fight Biden and the Democrats on drilling, tax policy

(Inside Climate News, 14 Jan 2021) Mike Sommers, in his annual address, said the oil and gas industry remained essential to America. Will Biden and political leaders agree?

It’s a tough time for the nation’s oil and gas industry. Last year was among its least profitable in memory, and companies are bracing themselves for a new president focused on climate change, a Congress controlled by Democrats who increasingly shun their financial support and a world beginning to look past fossil fuels towards a cleaner energy future in which they will become smaller players, if not obsolete.

That was the unspoken backdrop for a speech Wednesday by Mike Sommers, head of the American Petroleum Institute, who said that his industry was confident about its future and prepared to fight back against policies that President-elect Joe Biden had promised as a candidate, including a halt to new drilling on public lands and the elimination of billions of dollars in industry tax breaks.

Speaking at API’s annual “State of American Energy” event, broadcast by video this year, Sommers asserted that his industry remains an essential part of the nation’s energy sector and economy. He noted that it continued operating throughout the pandemic and produced materials that go into face masks, gowns and other medical equipment. 

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Inside Climate News, 14 Jan 2021: American Petroleum Institute chief promises to fight Biden and the Democrats on drilling, tax policy