Granholm made the comments while addressing a room full of industry leaders present for an annual energy conference, CERAWeek by S&P Global, in Houston. She praised BP, Exxon, Shell and other companies that are withdrawing from Russia, and called the bravery of the Ukrainian people "breathtaking."
"Their bravery should inspire all of us to do our part, to enlist in this battle in ways that we can," she said, noting that's why President Biden banned Russian oil imports. "So, what else can we do in this fight? We are on a war footing — an emergency — and we have to responsibly increase short-term supply where we can right now to stabilize the market and to minimize harm to American families."
Granholm repeatedly told the audience the government was hopeful this crisis could be used as a moment to forge meaningful partnerships with the industry to address not only the immediate need for more production, but the long-term need for cooperation in addressing climate change.
She touted the $62 billion Congress recently gave the Department of Energy in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will be doled out through competitive grants, and told attendees she was "eager to receive your best and most innovative ideas."
"I'm here to extend a hand of partnership," she said. "Because we'll only be able to meet these challenges of oil and gas supply and climate change by working together."
In a separate panel discussion earlier in the day, former U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette, now president of Sempra Infrastructure, said he wondered whether Russia's invasion of Ukraine would be a "tipping point, or an inflection point" for Europe similar to what he said took place in the United States after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"In America, after 9/11, there was tremendous focus on [energy] security and I wonder if the events of today might be Europe's sort-of 9/11 moment, when people come together and address some regulatory and policy issues."
Granholm presented this crisis as an opportunity to address supply chain and permitting issues here in the United States that are serving as hurdles to increased production — garnering applause from the industry leaders in the audience.
"We need these issues to be resolved," she said. "We've got to collapse the bureaucracy."
Another hurdle she identified is a lack of robust investment in the industry.
"At this moment, investors, like every human on the planet, realize we have to do something," she said. "We all have to give. I hope that investors are listening because we cannot have one element holding back what we need for the world."
--Editing by Patrick Reagan.
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