Hoeven calls for energy bills in 2015

Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) announced that he is working on a “state-first, all-of-the-above” energy plan for the next Congress.

“We have a range of good, strong energy legislation already on deck that can help reduce the burden of regulation, grow the industry and build the right kind of energy plan for the nation’s future,” Hoeven said Thursday. “We will work to accomplish that by pushing a states-first, all-of-the-above approach to energy development in the Senate, which will create jobs, boost the economy and provide a real future for coal.”

{mosads}On Tuesday, Republicans defeated enough incumbent Democrats to take control of the Senate in 2015. Hoeven said the new Congress would give the GOP an opportunity to work on energy legislation — a top priority for him.

The North Dakota Republican has pushed legislation that would force the administration to approve the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline that would transport oil from Canadian tar sands through the United States to refineries along the Gulf Coast.

He said coal also has to be part of the national energy strategy and criticized the administration for putting regulatory burdens on that sector because of high carbon emissions

“North Dakota coal-fired power plants provide nearly 80 percent of the state’s residential and commercial energy needs and support nearly 17,000 workers, both in the coal industry and in industries that support the coal industry,” Hoeven said. “We need to secure that reliable source of energy and the jobs of the men and women who produce it.”