W hen the US House Natural Resources Committee held the first of three scheduled hearings on offshore oil and gas leasing on Feb. 11, it marked the first opportunity for the 111th Congress to discuss the issue. House members haven’t been silent on the matter, however. Led by Reps. Kevin P. Brady (R-Tex.) and John M. Shimkus (R-Ill.), Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and 67 other House Republicans asked US President Barack H. Obama not to close Outer Continental Shelf areas months after congressional leasing moratoriums expired.
“As you know, at the height of our nation’s energy crisis last year, the American people spoke with one voice to express their outrage when they saw that not only were we dependent upon foreign oil, but furthermore, that energy resources located within American territory were locked away and could not be developed,” lawmakers told Obama in a Feb. 4 letter, which also went to US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.
“Our national vulnerability was on plain display for the American public last summer because we lacked a coherent energy policy to allow for responsible energy exploration and development,” they added.
Jobs and revenue
House Republicans said policy changes that would further eliminate jobs or stifle their creation, especially in the current economic downturn, would be a mistake. They cited ICF International’s recent study concluding that developing untapped US offshore energy resources would create more than 160,000 jobs by 2030. The federal government could raise $1.7 trillion of revenue by tapping more oil and natural gas off the US coast, they added.
“Our country needs to remain on the path to American energy independence, and we believe this is a critical and achievable goal. Energy exploration means more jobs and stronger national security; nothing less is at stake,” the House Republicans said. Salazar announced on Feb. 10 that he was extending the public comment period on a new 5-year OCS plan by 180 days beyond its current Mar. 23 deadline. He also plans to have the US Minerals Management Service and US Geological Survey prepare a report on conventional and renewable offshore resources within 45 days as an early step in developing a comprehensive strategy.
Online support
On Feb. 3, the Institute for Energy Research began to collect comments supporting the MMS’s new 5-year OCS plan online. It noted that the plan, which contains 31 lease sales in 12 offshore planning areas, would be the first time in more than 25 years that many potentially energy-rich tracts would be considered.
“Unlike many of the make-work jobs the economic stimulus plan purports to create, greater domestic energy production creates real jobs. I can think of no better or more immediate way to invigorate this nation’s economy,” IER Pres. Thomas J. Pyle said.
As of Feb. 9, according to an IER spokeswoman, the group’s web site received more than 6,500 comments supporting more OCS leasing.