Buchanan’s Energy Section and Federal Government Relations Group Collaborate on Article Published in Oil and Gas Monitor

James O’Toole, Jr., Energy Section Co-Chair and James C. Wiltraut, Jr., Director of Federal Government Relations, with contributions from Will Le, Government Relations, collaborated on an article titled, “The Federal Shutdown: Immediate Impacts and the Future of National Energy Policy in the Shadow of Government Gridlock.” The article was published December 6, 2013 in Oil and Gas Monitor, an online forum covering the world of oil and gas exploration, finance and investing, compliance and regulation and equipment and technology.

Their article discusses the recent government shutdown’s impacts, potential future effects on the energy industry, and how the shutdown is emblematic of Congressional gridlock that prevents the development of comprehensive and coherent federal energy policy.

“Despite some delay in issuing reports, the lasting impact from the shutdown in most respects is negligible,” reported the article. “A shutdown in early 2014 would likely be worse than what the country experienced in October. The shutdown occurred at the beginning of a new fiscal year, a time generally spent ramping up new programs, not finalizing and closing out existing items.”

The article opines that in light of the current political climate it is unlikely that a grand bargain will be reached on big-ticket energy issues in the ongoing budget negotiations. 

Read the full article: “The Federal Shutdown: Immediate Impacts and the Future of National Energy Policy in the Shadow of Government Gridlock” (Oil and Gas Monitor, December 6, 2013)