Kelcy Warren's Energy Transfer LP on the Latest Demands

Moving over to renewables is not really a question for most Americans, as most have accepted the energy industry needs to change to protect the Earth. The questions are far more about how to make the transition and when. This is hotly debated and even more hotly regulated by the federal government.

Pipeline operator Energy Transfer LP, co-founded by Kelcy Warren, recently made headlines when its co-chief executive officer Marshall McCrea remarked on the ludicrously of Joe Biden’s energy policy. We’ll look at why he called the regulations unrealistic and what a more attainable version might look like.

One of North America’s largest pipeline operators remarked on a recent earnings call that the federal administration was doing its best to attack the energy industry. He said that the pace is fast enough that it would threaten our global energy security.

Kelcy Warren’s company is used to dealing with new demands, depending on the people in charge. The original focus of the administration was on permits and approvals. When gas prices surged, though, the country wanted to help oil supplies here rather than relying on sellers abroad. Now, the administration is threatening to raise taxes on profits for oil companies unless leaders invest the money into increasing production. McCrea remarked, “I guess we’re kind of tired of being attacked in the fossil-fuel business.”

Energy Transfer LP controls oil and gas pipelines that cross 120,000 miles. The company operates in 41 states plus Canada, but much of its expansion has been blocked by both environmental groups and Democratic leaders. Biden has long been in a hurry to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and he’s been offering incentives for operators to switch over to projects like green hydrogen, carbon capture, and renewable natural gas.

The trouble is that Biden’s goals aren’t always rooted in reality. Carbon scientists want greenhouse gas emissions to drop by around half by 2030 and entirely eliminated by 2050. However, the goodwill between oil companies and the White House is beginning to erode.

Kelcy Warren wants to lower prices for Americans, particularly as they feel the sting of Putin’s war at the gas tank, but rushing such a large-scale operation could drastically reduce the quality of life for everyone who depends on fossil fuels. The chaos that ensues from a lack of gas or heat could be utterly devastating for families and individuals across the nation. McCrea likened the tumult to what Europe is going through now, as the continent faces energy shortages.

The Life of Kelcy Warren

Kelcy Warren got his start in Texas as the youngest of four. His mother was very concerned that all of her children went to college and was adamant that they keep going until they had their diplomas. A Baptist and a Boy Scout, Warren knew the power of community and family.

Warren began doing odd jobs at the age 12, hauling bales of hay and working at a gas station. As he aged, he stayed in the oil industry, first as a repairman, then as a welder’s helper, then in pipeline construction. He heeded the advice from his father to both work hard and save money.

He earned his high school degree, but struggled to adapt to the freedom he found at college. After flunking out, he went to junior college at night and worked with his father during the day. That year taught him a lot about what he wanted to do, and he eventually went back to school in engineering. He even won a scholarship through the National Science Foundation, and snagged the top award on a project for methane gas production.

Since then, he’s earned numerous honors since then, including Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. He’s in the Texas Business Hall of Fame, and on the board of the Lighthouse School. He gives to a variety of causes, including Cherokee Crossroads, Inc. This organization helps a variety of children’s charities in his home state.

Learn more about Kelcy Warren here: https://texasbusiness.org/hall-of-fame/