State Senator Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) this week was reelected chairman of the Alabama legislature’s Committee on Energy Policy.

This bipartisan, bicameral committee is tasked with recommending courses of action to tackle Alabama’s energy challenges to the governor and the legislature as a whole.

In a statement, Ward said, “It is an honor to once again lead this team of citizen-legislators, as we work with Governor Ivey’s administration to craft policies that will encourage the development of cheap and reliable energy sources.”

“These are unprecedented times in the energy industry, and we need policies that breakdown the intrusive government regulations that so often hold the private sector back from delivering innovative energy solutions to consumers,” he added.

The energy policy committee is made up of 13 state legislators, including four members appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and four appointed by the president pro tem of the Alabama State Senate.

A 2016 study by Auburn University at Montgomery showed that the total economic impact of Alabama’s energy industry was $13.22 billion annually. Additionally, the study found that the energy industry generates 124,000 jobs in the Yellowhammer State.

“In so many ways, Alabama is at the forefront in producing cheap, reliable energy for the country,” Ward outlined. “The Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant is the second-largest nuclear facility in the U.S., we rank fifth in the nation in electricity generated from biomass or wood and wood waste, and we have the third-highest number of offshore oil rigs in the country.”

“Alabama’s energy companies are doing inventive work and my goal is that we have policies in place that will reward innovative solutions, which will lead to reduced energy prices for families and businesses,” he concluded.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn