John Hofmeister is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee, the head of Citizens for Affordable Energy, and the former President of Shell Oil. In this hard-hitting and passionate interview, John explains how Federal and various state governments are blocking what he feels could be "the most prosperous century in the history of this country."
Citing the economic growth and success of pro-energy, pro-business states in the central corridor, John believes we are looking at a multi-decade transformation that could unleash robust job growth, bring in much needed tax revenues, and help reduce the cost of energy for everyone.
Unfortunately, he said, not everyone is on board.
States like California and others, along with the Federal government, have decided special interests take priority over American jobs by blocking permits and preventing proven technology from being used.
“I think we could achieve the most prosperous century in the history of this country if we could get our act together—state and Federal government—to encourage not only domestic natural resource development but domestic manufacturing and all of the economic goodness that accrues from that. But, people in the state decide the future of their state. The government is ultimately the people, and so the people of the mid-corridor of the United States have demonstrated by their voting behavior that they want their state leadership to pursue economic prosperity. Thus far, we’re still waiting to see in states like New York, in some New England states—Massachusetts, for example—or California, or Illinois; do the people of those states really want to pursue the economic prosperity that’s available to them or would they rather have government decide that “No, we’re not going to pursue economic prosperity; we’re going to put constraints around it, and somehow that is the policy we’re going to adopt.”
Even if we decided to pursue the massive shale deposits underlying many parts of America, John warns that the current administration has made it clear they won’t allow companies to build the infrastructure necessary to transport it cheaply. Citing the Keystone Pipeline as a major example of how politics and special interests get in the way, John says:
“I find it very frustrating that we built this country…on the basis of building the infrastructure that we rely upon to keep the world’s largest economy functioning. And now we’re in a period where anyone who wants to build infrastructure has to wait 1700 days to get a permit to build a pipeline? That’s just not the America that we can sustain…I mean, the President talks about middle class jobs and here he is denying middle class jobs to thousands of construction workers—let’s get this straight.”
Lastly, as Jim and John get into the players behind the scenes, and what’s preventing America from pursuing economic prosperity, John explains:
"[I]t’s only when you get the American people to say to the politicians, 'Remember who you work for Mr. Politician! You come and you go, but I live here all the time and I’m sick and tired of your personal self-interest and your own policies that negatively impact my lifestyle, my country, and the prosperity that I want my children and grandchildren to enjoy. So, something has got to give here Mr. President—or whoever the politician is—you work for us, and please don’t forget that!'"
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