LMOGA Offshore Committee Director Lori LeBlanc Discusses Gulf Energy Future at DOE Forum

New Orleans, La. – Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil And Gas Association Offshore Committee Director Lori LeBlanc was selected as one of four panelists in today’s U.S. Department of Energy’s Quadrennial Energy Review (QER). LeBlanc served as a panelist discussing "Gulf Coast Energy Transmission, Storage and Distribution Infrastructure" with the focus of her testimony on the need for the federal government to invest in critical energy infrastructure that supports the Gulf as a long-term energy powerhouse for fueling America.

“As we look toward a future that once seemed inconceivable – one in which America gradually becomes more energy independent – the Gulf of Mexico will remain a long-term energy powerhouse for our country,” said LeBlanc. “The Gulf attracts investment from companies across the globe due to its political stability, proximity to Gulf Coast refineries and strong pipeline and production infrastructure – infrastructure that requires continued maintenance and investment,” LeBlanc continued.

On January 9, 2014, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum establishing a Quadrennial Energy Review with the Department of Energy as the lead agency of that review. The focus of the QER is America’s infrastructure for transporting, transmitting, storing and delivering energy.

According to the Presidential Memorandum, “Our current infrastructure is increasingly challenged by transformations in energy supply, markets, and patterns of end use; issues of aging and capacity; impacts of climate change; and cyber and physical threats. Any vulnerability in this infrastructure may be exacerbated by the increasing interdependencies of energy systems with water, telecommunications, transportation, and emergency response systems. The first Quadrennial Energy Review Report will serve as a roadmap to help address these challenges.”

Today’s QER forum is the third in a series of meetings examining different aspects of the U.S. energy picture, focused on offshore energy development and regional conservation efforts. The public meeting focused on Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coast energy production and featured remarks from U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, U.S. Deputy Secretary on the Interior Mike Connor and U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. In addition to statements by government officials and featured panelists, members of the public were allowed to offer statements for the official record.

Ms. LeBlanc’s expertise in environmental and energy issues, in addition to her involvement in LMOGA’s Offshore Committee, provides a unique perspective for the QER panel and will help promote energy operations in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The economic impact of Gulf energy to the United States is immense,” said LeBlanc. “It creates jobs in every state with some 430,000 jobs nationwide estimated to link to Gulf energy activity, along with tens of thousands here in Louisiana alone. The offshore oil and gas industry has a $44 billion annual impact to Louisiana and a $70 billion annual impact when you factor in the related pipeline and refining industries.”

For a full copy of LeBlanc’s testimony, click here.

About LMOGA

Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, founded in 1923, is a trade association exclusively representing all sectors of the oil and gas industry operating in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. LMOGA serves exploration and production, refining, transportation, marketing and mid stream companies as well as other firms in the fields of law, engineering, environment, financing and government relations.

LMOGA’s mission is to promote and represent the oil and gas industry operating in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico by extending representation of our members in the Louisiana Legislature, state and federal regulatory agencies, the Louisiana congressional delegation, the media and the general public.