This article was republished with permission from dermotcole.com.
A year ago, Sen. Dan Sullivan took his role as a nationalistic cheerleader for the fossil fuel industry literally by calling for a round of applause for the industry at an industry conference in Houston.
He did it again this year at the same event, CERAWeek, organized by S&P Global, portraying the oil and gas industry as a victim.
“One thing that doesn’t happen enough, in my view, is that we don’t thank the American energy sector anymore,” Sullivan said Monday. “As a matter of fact a lot of administration officials, politicians attack it, Ok. That’s wrong. The American energy sector is one of the biggest strengths of our country.”
He said the dictators in China and Russia fear “American energy power” and that the American fossil fuel companies are one of the nation’s greatest strengths.
“I want to thank all of you because you don’t get thanked, you often get attacked. And I want to thank you for this,” he said.
Sullivan’s oversimplified claim that multinational companies—with operations and political connections in many countries—are nationalistic instruments of U.S. foreign relations is a dangerous delusion for a U.S. senator. These are companies that want to produce profits above all else for their shareholders. That is why they exist.
Even his characterization of the audience he was thanking was inaccurate.
Interviewer Daniel Yergin redirected Sullivan’s thankfest by mentioning that the audience featured more than just U.S. fossil fuel executives—with one-third of the audience representing “other” forms of energy.
Sullivan quickly added, “I want all of the above, wind, solar, but oil and gas too right?”
And Yergin added there were people from other nations at the conference.
“There are other countries too, thank them too,” Yergin told him.
Sullivan complied. “You too. Thank you,” he said, to participants from other countries.
“So now everybody’s been thanked,” Yergin said.
Sullivan, who grew up in Ohio, went on to claim that Alaska Natives are “starting to say” that those who oppose the Willow project, which is on federal land, “are undertaking the second wave of colonialism.”
“When they come up and tell Alaska Natives here’s how you should live your life, it’s ridiculous.”
Sullivan claims the Willow project provides President Biden for the chance for a “cease-fire on your administration’s war against Alaskan working families. We’ll see if he wants a cease-fire or you know . . .”
“All the people I’ve been talking to today, even people not from ConocoPhillips, they’re saying this is a test. The administration often says that the only reason we’re not producing more oil in America is recalcitrant energy companies, all of you guys. You don’t really want to drill,” said Sullivan, gesturing to the audience.
“Conoco will start tomorrow, tomorrow, if they get the record of decision approved,” said Sullivan.
At the same conference Monday, the head of Chevron mentioned the impact of stock buybacks and other ways that oil companies are putting their profits to use.
“Look, we are a stronger company than we were a few years ago, so the numbers are bigger but the patterns are no different,” Chevron’s CEO Wirth told CERA chairman Daniel Yergin on Monday at the conference, referring to Chevron’s financial priorities – sustaining and growing its dividend, reinvesting capital to bring supplies to market (its budget is up 30% year over year), maintain a strong balance sheet for ups and downs in the commodities cycle, and returning excess cash to shareholders. “We could stack it up on the balance sheet,” Wirth said, but he added, “It’s their cash.”
“Some things get more scrutiny at certain points in time than others,” he told Yergin when asked multiple times about the political “heat.”
Dermot Cole has worked as a newspaper reporter, columnist and author in Alaska for more than 40 years. Support his work here.
