POLITICO: Biden Interior surpasses Trump in drilling permits issued in first year

Thursday, January 27, 2022

According to a recent report in POLITICO, the Biden Administration approved nearly 900 more permits to drill on public land than the Trump Administration approved in its first year. In 2021, the Biden Administration approved 3,557 permits for oil and gas drilling on public land, compared to 2,658 during the Trump Administration’s first year.

For the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) and its members, that meant a massive increase in manhours worked in the pipeline industry. In President Biden’s first year in office alone, UA members worked 6.6 million manhours in the pipeline industry — a full 1.4 million more than the year before.

“President Biden knows our energy future can only be built with an all-of-the-above energy approach. We’ve already seen UA manhours in the pipeline industry increase in his first year alone — and we’re poised to grow our market share even more as a streamlined permitting process and increased infrastructure funding mean more projects for our members," said Chad Gilbert, Director of Pipeline and Gas Distribution for the United Association.

The Washington Post reports that in addition to this increase in permit approvals, the Biden Administration set a record for the largest offshore lease sale last year in the Gulf of Mexico. Eevn more, the Biden Administration plans to auction off oil and gas drilling rights on more than 200,000 acres across Western states by the end of March, followed by 1 million acres in the Cook Inlet, off the coast of Alaska.

Just one year into his presidency, President Biden is showing his steadfast commitment to an all-of-the-above energy approach – and to his case-by-case decision process for each project. The results for United Association members could not be stronger, with an increase of more than 1 million manhours worked in 2021.

At this rate, manhours for the United Association in the pipeline industry are only going to continue to increase during the Biden Administration.