MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – State legislators discussed the future of U.P. fuel production Tuesday in Marquette.
The American Petroleum Institute visited to talk about the state’s gas production and supply. API’s Chris Zeigler says the goal is to continue North American energy production and supply.
“We need everything thrown at the solution,” Ziegler said. “Whether it’s natural gas or oil, which we’re talking about tonight, or other resources, because we have an increase in energy demand that’s coming up. We need to ensure that we have those resources available to take every advantage that we can.”
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-1st Congressional District) says Michigan needs to move forward as an energy-producing state, no matter which source. He says Tuesday’s discussion covered employment, price of energy, permitting reform and running energy businesses.
“Right now, we got ourselves in a little bit of a hole where if we didn’t reverse some of the bad policies related to energy, we could become energy dependent,” Bergman said. “In the world we live in today, that’s not a good position to be in.”
Zeigler says he hopes to build more energy infrastructure, such as electrical transmissions and pipelines. He says it has been stifled over the years.
“It’s important to make sure, wherever the energy is being produced, that we can get that supply from where it’s being made to where it’s needed,” Zeigler said. “Whether that’s here in the U.P., whether that’s down in the Lower Peninsula.”
Securing energy is also a concern for Sen. Ed McBroom (R-38th State Senate District). He says it’s complicated to keep a robust electricity supply in the U.P., which local industries heavily depend on.
“Especially our largest employers: our paper mills, the mines,” McBroom said. “These are really critical, and even for our local schools and hospitals, how are they gonna survive if we let our rates continue to be pushed up?”
He says energy issues are fundamental for the U.P.’s future success.
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