The co-signing organizations represent energy supply chain businesses and workers that provide construction, equipment, materials, professional services and logistics to oil and natural gas production, transportation and processing. They represent over one million workers and more than 100,000 companies in sixty industries operating in all fifty states.

The letters timing coincided with Senate debate on the Energy Policy Modernization Act, a broad bipartisan update of U.S. energy policy addressing energy efficiency, modernization and security of infrastructure, natural gas export permitting and other policies.

Co-signing organizations recommended expedited processing of applications to export LNG, elimination of regulations unnecessarily restricting energy infrastructure construction, and removing restrictions on production of energy reserves on federally-controlled lands and water that do not contribute to safety or environmentally sound production and distribution of oil and natural gas.

The letter cites the massive loss of energy supply chain jobs since the beginning of the energy market slump in 2014, quoting recent studies that show three jobs lost in the supply chain for each one at the producer level. Typical supplier jobs lost include construction workers, equipment operators, factory workers, truck drivers, welders and ironworkers, and machinery and engine mechanics.

The letter was coordinated by the Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance, a coalition of energy supply chain trade associations, labor unions and companies. In transmitting the letter to Congress, EEIA President Toby Mack urged Senate passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act and an early conference with the House of Representatives to finalize a bill for the Presidents signature.