The natural gas and oil industry is critical to Texas’s post-pandemic recovery

(The following statement is from the Texas Oil & Gas Association’s president, Todd Staples. For the full “Energy Builds America” report, visit https://www.api.org/news-policy-and-issues/american-energy/energy-builds-america-jobs-economy-environment-all-50-states.) “This analysis underscores the importance of the oil- and natural-gas-industry, for Texas’ post-pandemic economic recovery. Pre-pandemic, the industry supported—directly and indirectly—a total of two-and-a-half-million Texas jobs. That’s almost 14-percent of the state’s overall employment. “The Texas oil- and natural-gas-industry generates an additional three jobs—elsewhere in Texas—for each direct job in the industry. And, the industry provides over 250-billion dollars in labor-income—an astronomical figure that represents nearly 22-percent of the state’s total labor-income in 2019, according to the report. “Texans understand the essential nature of oil and natural gas. And, this analysis confirms the indispensable role [that] the industry plays, in providing jobs and investment that benefit every community—and all Texans. Our member-companies’ efforts ensure [that] reliable products are available to power modern America—and serve as the underlying foundation of Texas public-school-, university-, and public-infrastructure-funding. “In thinking about the future, our nation’s outlook depends on policies that support—rather than hinder—American energy. That’s why we’ll continue to advocate for the responsible development of our abundant energy-resources—just as we’ve safely done for years. Texas is stronger when America is leading the world, in energy-production.”