Jefferson City – As Missouri House Speaker Tim Jones wrapped up his statewide “4G” tour laying out the 2014 agenda for the State House of Representative, Missourians For A Balanced Energy Future pledged support of a key component: generating energy.

Outlined by Joplin TV station KODE, Jones’ “4G” agenda consisted of: growth and opportunity, generating affordable and abundant energy, guaranteeing the right to a great education, and guarding and protecting Missouri values. MBEF today applauded Jones’ energy commitment and the jobs growth that results from energy projects.

MBEF Executive Director Irl Scissors said, “We’re eager to work with Speaker Jones and the House of Representatives to ensure the energy piece of their agenda is successful. And whether we’re talking about ramping up clean and renewable energy production or improving our current energy system, job growth is a major byproduct.”

The Joplin Globe’s coverage of Jones’ tour indicated that infrastructure improvement could be a factor in solutions Jones would seek around energy generation.

The Joplin Globe reported, “He said he also favored reducing the regulatory burden on utilities to help them move forward on replacing aging infrastructure.”

Scissors went on to say, “Missouri’s aging infrastructure, which is fast approaching the end of it’s life cycle, is a serious concern. Waiting to make improvements could result in an enormous cost to consumers and put power reliability at risk. On the other hand, improvements will result in job creation and energy security to businesses. Needless to say, we’re delighted that Speaker Jones supports policies to improve energy infrastructure as part of their agenda this year.”