PORTLAND (AP) — Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine is touting increased access to natural gas as a way to boost his state’s ailing paper production industry.

The 2nd District congressman says the high cost of electricity has contributed to mill closures and job losses in the state’s paper industry, which lost about 1,000 workers in 2014.

He used a Wednesday House floor speech to call for “increased production and transportation of natural gas to drive down the cost of electric power.”

Poliquin is the co-sponsor of legislation he says would expedite the permit process to construct more natural gas pipelines throughout the country. The bill also promises to help construct larger capacity pipelines.