{"id":27182,"date":"2016-08-25T11:27:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-25T16:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=27182"},"modified":"2016-08-26T13:27:16","modified_gmt":"2016-08-26T18:27:16","slug":"the-oklahoma-oil-billionaire-shaping-donald-trumps-bid-to-win-on-energy-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2016\/08\/25\/the-oklahoma-oil-billionaire-shaping-donald-trumps-bid-to-win-on-energy-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oklahoma Oil Billionaire Shaping Donald Trump\u2019s Bid to Win on Energy Issues"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_27187\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-27187\" alt=\"Donald Trump at a campaign stop at the Oklahoma State Fair in September 2015.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-620x465.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"465\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-620x465.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-500x375.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-1920x1441.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-1439x1080.jpg 1439w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-1832x1374.jpg 1832w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-1376x1032.jpg 1376w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-632x474.jpg 632w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/08\/150925_trump_lecturn_HR-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Brian Hardzinski \/ KGOU<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Donald Trump at a campaign stop at the Oklahoma State Fair in September 2015.<\/p>\n<\/div><p>Donald Trump is wooing energy-state voters by promising a presidency that will champion coal, promote drilling and free frackers from federal regulations limiting oil and gas development.<\/p><p>If the Republican candidate\u2019s energy platform sounds like it was written specifically for fossil fuel companies, that\u2019s because an Oklahoma oil billionaire helped craft it.<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/279854152&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=false\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p><p><!--more--><\/p><p>Donald Trump delivered his first major speech on U.S. energy policy at a petroleum conference in the capital city of one the country\u2019s most oil-rich states, Bismark, North Dakota.<\/p><p>Trump\u2019s May 2016 stop in Bismarck, when he was still campaigning in the Republican primary, had a purpose: To get people pumped up about pumping oil and natural gas. Trump promised, if elected, he\u2019d undo environmental and climate regulations that expanded under the Obama administration. The arena crowd of about 7,000 responded with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/business\/economy\/trump-pledges-to-bring-energy-independence-to-america\/2016\/05\/26\/eba464b6-234e-11e6-9e7f-57890b612299_story.html\">protracted applause and standing ovations<\/a>.<\/p><p>\u201cWe\u2019re going to revoke policies that impose unwarranted restrictions on new drilling technologies. These technologies create millions of jobs,\u201d he said.<\/p><p>That, Trump told the audience, would free-up the market, bringing profits to energy companies, jobs to communities and personal wealth to individuals.<\/p><p>\u201cThis is your treasure,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd you, the American people, are entitled to share in the riches.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Fueling Communities<\/h3><p>Trump\u2019s stop at the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference was arranged with the help of two men playing an instrumental role in helping shape Trump\u2019s energy policy. First is North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer.<\/p><p>\u201cProbably the thing that resonates with me the most with these energy-savvy constituents of mine is his talk about regulation and the reining in of regulations,\u201d Cramer said in an interview with StateImpact.<\/p><p>Cramer says energy policy offers a simple way for the public to measure the effectiveness of the federal government. Much of the Mountain West is rich in minerals, but a lot of the land and wealth is controlled by the feds. Cramer says that\u2019s not the case in states like North Dakota, Texas and Oklahoma, where fossil fuel development fuels local prosperity.<\/p><p>\u201cAnd that differentiation is really stark,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes obvious that it&#8217;s not government that creates the jobs, it&#8217;s the government that gets in the way of the jobs.\u201d<\/p><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nP8xyug7gqw\" height=\"413\" width=\"620\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Oklahoma\u2019s \u2018King of Energy\u2019<\/h3><p>Trump is also taking energy cues from Oklahoma oilman Harold Hamm, a godfather of fracking. Or, as Trump referred to him in a press conference after the speech, \u201cthe King of Energy.\u201d<\/p><p>Hamm is the founder and CEO of Continental Resources, a pioneering producer in North Dakota&#8217;s Bakken Shale. Hamm is the son of Oklahoma sharecroppers, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/christopherhelman\/2015\/03\/09\/welcome-to-cowboyistan-fracking-king-harold-hamms-plan-for-u-s-domination-of-global-oil\/\">his hard-scrabble personal journey<\/a> from gas station laborer, to wildcatter, to billionaire energy boss has given him hero status among oil-field workers and corporate executives.<\/p><p>Trump officials and Hamm didn\u2019t respond to interview requests, but the oil and gas magnate was tapped to speak at the 2016 Republican National Convention in July.<\/p><p>Hamm is a vocal Trump supporter and he advises the candidate <a href=\"http:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2016\/07\/trumps-energy-whisperer-225877\">on energy<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.wsj.com\/washwire\/2016\/08\/05\/trump-announces-economic-policy-advisory-team\/\">economic issues<\/a>. The fracking mogul has been named as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-election-trump-hamm-exclusive-idUSKCN10100Z\">a possible energy secretary<\/a> if Trump wins in November. Previously, in 2012, Hamm served as an energy advisor to Mitt Romney. He also supported Romney\u2019s campaign with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/outsidespending\/donor_detail.php?cycle=2012&id=U0000004130&type=I&super=N&name=Hamm%2C+Harold+G.+%26+Sue+Ann\">nearly a million dollars<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/outsidespending\/donor_detail.php?cycle=2012&id=U0000004130&type=I&super=N&name=Hamm%2C+Harold+G.+%26+Sue+Ann\"> in donations<\/a>. Hamm\u2019s 2016 <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/gop-convention\/our-nation-should-embrace-energy-independence-9fef85b054a4#.y2zjcu91q\">convention speech<\/a> drove home two big themes: First: U.S. reliance on foreign oil is a national security threat, but the environment isn\u2019t.<\/p><p>\u201cEvery time we can\u2019t drill a well in America, terrorism is being funded,\u201d Hamm said, also noting, \u201cClimate change isn\u2019t our biggest problem. It\u2019s Islamic terrorism.<\/p><p>The second point driven home in Hamm\u2019s remarks: Drilling is the best way to reduce the foreign energy-security threat.<\/p><p>\u201cPresident Trump will fuel America\u2019s future and become the first president to achieve American energy independence,\u201d Hamm remarked.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_26283\"  class=\"wp-caption module image right\" style=\"max-width: 620px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-26283\" alt=\"Continental Resources founder and CEO Harold Hamm, second to the left, at the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association office in Oklahoma City.\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/03\/20150902-rubio-oipa-pics006_WEB.jpg\" width=\"620\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/03\/20150902-rubio-oipa-pics006_WEB.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/03\/20150902-rubio-oipa-pics006_WEB-500x333.jpg 500w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/03\/20150902-rubio-oipa-pics006_WEB-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2016\/03\/20150902-rubio-oipa-pics006_WEB-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Continental Resources founder and CEO Harold Hamm, second to the left, at the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association office in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Independence, Incoherence<\/h3><p>Roger Stern, an energy economist and faculty fellow at the University of Tulsa\u2019s School of Energy Economics, Policy and Commerce says total energy independence would be bad for U.S. consumers because global energy markets mean cheaper gasoline and utility bills.<\/p><p>\u201c\u2018Energy independence\u2019 is just as ridiculous now as when President Nixon introduced it,\u201d Stern says. \u201cTrump isn\u2019t using that idea any more or less coherently than any other president or presidential hopeful.\u201d<\/p><p>Stern sees contradictions in other aspects of Trump\u2019s energy plan. A big one is the GOP candidate\u2019s pledge to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hcn.org\/articles\/trump-vows-to-both-bring-back-coal-jobs-and-remove-restraints-on-natural-gas-production\">restore coal jobs while simultaneously promoting natural gas<\/a> development, since increased supplies of the environmentally cleaner gas are a major factor fueling the decline of coal.<\/p><p>\u201cThe idea that the oil and natural gas producers are on the same side of this thing as the coal producers is just wrong,\u201d Stern said.<\/p><p>More recently, in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.9news.com\/news\/local\/politics\/brandon-rittimans-trump-interview-transcript\/284502526\">an interview<\/a> with Colorado television station 9News, Trump said he\u2019d support local bans on fracking, a controversial issue <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpr.org\/news\/story\/colorado-supreme-court-rules-against-cities-fracking-limits\">in many states<\/a>, including Oklahoma, where <a href=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/06\/01\/gov-fallin-signs-bill-to-prevent-towns-cities-and-counties-from-banning-fracking\/\">lawmakers passed a state law<\/a> preventing towns and cities from enacting such restrictions.<\/p><p>Hamm hurried to play down Trump\u2019s comments and reassure the press and public that the GOP candidate mis-heard the interviewer.<\/p><p>\u201cDonald Trump did not understand that concept at the time in my opinion,\u201d Hamm <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/top-energy-adviser-says-donald-trump-is-solidly-behind-fracking-1471987532\">told<\/a> the <i>Wall Street Journal<\/i>\u2019s Amy Harder. \u201cHe does now.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Muddled messages<\/h3>\n<div class=\"related-content alignright\">\n<h4 class=\"related-header\">Related<\/h4>\n<div class=\"links\">\n<h5>Posts<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2015\/07\/02\/as-communities-prepare-for-new-state-fracking-rules-one-city-will-wait-and-see\/\">As Communities Prepare for New State Fracking Rules, One City Will Wait and See<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2016\/07\/25\/ranchers-might-push-lawmakers-to-give-wind-and-solar-same-property-rights-as-oil-and-gas\/\">Ranchers Might Push Lawmakers to Give Wind and Solar Same Property Rights as Oil and Gas<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"topics\">\n<h5>Topics<\/h5>\n<p class=\"topic\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2012\/03\/harold-hamm.jpg\" height=\"60\" width=\"60\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/topic\/harold-hamm\/\">Harold Hamm: From Gas Station Pump Attendant to Major Political Player<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><p>Stern says Trump and the GOP aren\u2019t the only ones sending muddled messages when it it comes to energy policy; Hillary Clinton struggles to make a clear case, too. One example, Stern says, is the Democratic candidate\u2019s unwillingness to champion natural gas production and acknowledge that fracking is cleaner and environmentally better than its predecessor.<\/p><p>\u201cFracking is not environmentally neutral, of course, but it\u2019s unquestionably better,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not the clean energy end-game, but it\u2019s progress and a clear improvement. It\u2019s misguided to ignore that just because it\u2019s a fossil fuel.\u201d<\/p><p>Stern says neither Republicans nor Democrats seem interested in tackling many key energy policy issues that could have a big effect on companies and everyday Americans, such as the public health consequences of energy production and taxpayer subsidies of energy industries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Donald Trump is wooing energy-state voters by promising a presidency that will champion coal, promote drilling and free frackers from federal regulations limiting oil and gas development.If the Republican candidate\u2019s energy platform sounds like it was written specifically for fossil fuel companies, that\u2019s because an Oklahoma oil billionaire helped craft it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":27187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[490],"tags":[325,678,238,324],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27182"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27182"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27213,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27182\/revisions\/27213"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}