Mike Sommers, API President and CEO
Speaking at the historic Drake Well Museum — the birthplace of modern energy — American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers today called for a new era of American energy leadership focused on innovation, infrastructure, and the ability to build.
“We know the position that we are in today, where we have rising energy demand,” Sommers said. “The real question that I think policymakers are going to have to answer is where is that energy going to come from?”
As U.S. electricity demand is projected to rise more than 40% by 2040 — driven by AI, advanced manufacturing, and population growth — meeting rising demand will depend on the ability to build modern infrastructure.
“We’ve seen it time and time again. Pipelines canceled as a consequence of them no longer being economic because we can’t get them built in a timely manner,” Sommers said. “This is becoming a jobs issue. It’s becoming an economic issue. It’s becoming a consumer issue. And I believe that ultimately, it is about to become a political imperative.”
Through API’s America Builds, America Wins campaign, Sommers outlined concrete steps to unlock the next chapter of energy progress: set deadlines and enforce them; stop lawsuits and start building; and ensure targeted reviews and swift decisions.
“The United States can continue to be the largest oil, gas, and by the way, renewable energy producer in the world and win the race for the future because everything starts with energy,” Sommers said. “And we know that if America builds, America wins.”
