Agreed. Now, if we could just combat the lowest common demoninators of apathy, stupidity, and sloth among the voting populace, we'd have it made.
Posted on 01/17/2009 1:15:38 PM PST by BBell
The federal agency that controls offshore drilling is planning for the opening of now-protected regions of the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas exploration.
With pressure mounting in Congress to increase domestic energy production, the U.S. Minerals Management Service wants to schedule lease sales for areas in the eastern and central Gulf that are now protected by a Congressional drilling ban.
The schedule is laid out in a draft of the MMS' five-year plan for leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf, which the agency released on Friday. The document, which must be approved by President-elect Barack Obama, could govern offshore leasing through 2015.
Under the plan, leases in the Gulf of Mexico would be issued during 14 sales. Three sales scheduled for 2010, 2011 and 2013 would offer tracts in the eastern Gulf that are now off-limits. A small protected area is also included in one of six lease sales planned for the central Gulf.
Before MMS could actually lease protected tracts, Congress would have to lift a ban enacted by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. But the MMS has started planning in case Congress lifts the moratorium before it expires in 2022.
In September, Congress let restrictions on other parts of the Outer Continental Shelf expire. President Bush also lifted an executive ban last year that once protected realms in the Atlantic, Pacific and off the coast of Alaska.
The draft MMS plan also calls for 17 additional sales to lease tracts off of the east coast, California and Alaska, which became available when the Congressional moratorium expired in September.
The MMS plan must undergo a 60-day public comment period beginning Jan. 21. It would also need a green light from Obama, who has tapped Ken Salazar to succeed Dirk
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
Well see how far this goes once the one takes office.
We need to DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW, DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!!!! It doesn’t matter what the price of oil currently is; we need to drill for the sake of energy independence and national security!
Unfortunately, I don’t see Obama coming even close to understanding this concept; he and the enviro-nazis are hand-in-hand.
We’ll only have to deal with 4 years of this, because in January 2013, Sarah Palin will be inaugurated as POTUS and then we’ll finally adopt a no-nonsense energy policy.
Yes, the price of oil does matter. And with oil at this price, E&P companies are not going to invest in new domestic drilling ventures.
However, if you want people in the American oilfield services industry to keep their jobs and maintain a certain lifestyle, you will need to pay around $3.00 for a gallon of gas.
And there is little urgency among the companies to do more drilling out there.
Jindal/Palin
Best combination of brains, ability and charisma.
Agreed. Now, if we could just combat the lowest common demoninators of apathy, stupidity, and sloth among the voting populace, we'd have it made.
Louisiana (my home state) has somewhat more than its share of all of those, yet Jindal managed to rise to the top. I'm optimistic he can do the same thing on a broader scale. Partnered with Palin, I think is an unbeatable combination.
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