North Carolinians are reliant on dependable sources of energy in nearly every aspect of our lives. But all too often, families are struggling with high gas prices and electricity bills because government continues to stand in the way of domestic energy exploration and production.

A balanced and responsible approach is the solution. This means developing more of America's own energy resources, including wind, solar, clean coal, hydropower, biofuels, nuclear energy, as well as oil and natural gas, which will reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of jobs here at home. The stringent regulation of our own untapped energy reserves constricts available supply and only compounds the global demand for energy. The lack of progress on the Keystone XL Pipeline is but one of the many examples of failure to take action to grow our energy industry. By safely harnessing these resources we can foster the creation of good paying jobs for Americans, while also decreasing our reliance on energy from hostile regions of the world which would make America energy secure.

As co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, I have worked hard to get North Carolina into the energy business to lower costs, boost our economy and create jobs. I believe that by adopting a market-led approach we can create a more abundant, affordable, and sustainable energy supply that will unlock the potential for a more prosperous America. This is a simple way to relieve our fiscal burdens now, and ensure we remain the world’s most dynamic economy in the future. I stand in firm support of increasing our domestic energy supply.

Here in North Carolina, there are potentially vast energy resources off our coast. The challenge does not lie in finding these resources, but in man-made government regulatory hurdles that prohibit us from allocating the time and investment needed to capitalize on them. That’s why I’ve been a proponent of opening our state to energy exploration and have introduced legislation to put North Carolinians to work by safely unlocking our offshore resources.