Timmons, Green: When Louisiana’s Energy and Manufacturing Sectors Thrive, America Wins

Ahead of a historic week as America marks its 250th anniversary, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons and Louisiana Association of Business and Industry President and CEO Will Green make the case in a new op-ed in the New Orleans Advocate (subscription) that Louisiana’s energy leadership is essential to manufacturing in America—and that advancing American energy dominance policies will be critical to the nation’s future.

• Timmons and Green start by looking back to1803, when President Thomas Jefferson urged Congress to ratify the treaty formalizing the Louisiana Purchase, saying it would bring “important aids to our Treasury, an ample provision for our prosperity, and a widespread field for the blessings of freedom.”

Why it matters: Jefferson’s words proved to be prophetic. The state of Louisiana has “powered the nation’s prosperity”—and the nation’s manufacturers—for more than a hundred years, Timmons and Green point out.

• They note that Louisiana “has powered America’s prosperity” from “the day Standard Oil built its Baton Rouge refinery in 1909.”
• And while “much has changed since Jefferson’s time,” the two say, “one truth remains: Louisiana’s leadership in energy remains essential to American manufacturing and a cornerstone of our national strength.”

The path to American energy dominance: “Manufacturers champion an ‘all of the above’ energy strategy—a path to unleash America’s energy dominance,” Timmons and Green write, stressing, “that path runs through Louisiana.”

• “The manufacturing industry consumes one-third of the nation’s energy. To lead as an industry, every energy source, every electron counts.”
• “Manufacturers understand that leadership isn’t about producing more, it’s about using energy wisely.”

Louisiana on the front lines: In a state that employs more than 143,000 Louisianans in manufacturing, “those jobs depend on access to abundant, affordable energy, because manufacturers make energy and use energy,” Timmons and Green say.

• “The resilience, affordability and reliability of U.S. oil and gas underpin our industrial base, our national security and our ability to compete globally.”
• “In Louisiana, manufacturers are on the front lines of that effort, onshore and offshore alike from the state’s pipelines to its LNG terminals.”
• “And the state has made it clear over the years that energy and manufacturing are top priorities.”

But permitting hurdles remain: The state knows how critical energy abundance is, but it “requires follow through,” as “too many critical projects remain stuck in permitting limbo, waiting for approvals that should have come long ago,” Timmons and Green add.

• “Louisiana alone has billions of dollars in potential investment literally stuck. Words must be turned into action to move projects forward. With billions on the line, manufacturing needs a predictable permitting process that sparks long-term certainty.”

The permitting reform imperative: “If we want to keep leading, manufacturers need comprehensive permitting reform now,” Timmons and Green write.

• “America’s broken permitting system is costing America’s manufacturers $8 billion each year, according to recent analysis by the National Association of Manufacturers and the Foundation for American Innovation.”
• “It takes roughly 80% longer to approve a major energy or infrastructure project in the U.S. than in other advanced economies.”

A thank you: Timmons and Green give a nod to the administration’s energy dominance priorities, saying, “Since day one of President Donald Trump’s administration, he has answered the calls of manufacturers by reversing the previous administration’s ban on liquefied natural gas exports.”

• “That decision reaffirmed America’s commitment to lead the world in energy production and trade.”

A call to Congress: Citing “bipartisan momentum” in Congress for a permitting reform deal this year, Timmons and Green emphasize that “Congress can deliver the certainty manufacturers need to build faster, invest with confidence and improve the quality of life for all Americans.”

• “We can’t power the factories of the future if we can’t build them,” they say.
• “Louisiana has long shown that energy production and environmental stewardship can coexist. With smart policy, a modern permitting system and predictable rules, that balance can endure.”

The last word: “Two centuries after Jefferson’s words, Louisiana continues to fuel America’s future through energy, manufacturing and innovation,” Timmons and Green conclude.

• “When Louisiana’s energy and manufacturing sectors thrive, America wins.”