Admin would open 2M acres of Gulf to drilling

The Hill ^ | 29 Apr 06 | Jim Snyder

[Dog Gone]

we can't drill off Florida because of Jeb Bush

Patently false. His opposition doesn't help, but it's irrelevant. If he was all for it, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.

[Teacher317]

Excellent point. Thanks for sharing.

(I love FReeRepublic!)

[SunnyD1182]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan, saying if it would amount to the “largest expansion of drilling off Florida’s coast in the country’s history.”

Note to this idiot: that's already happening. Just ask Castro. Nelson needs to shut up and realize that oil will be drilled for off our coasts, whether his NIMBY self would like it or not. The only question is whether other countries do it or whether we do it.

[Onelifetogive]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan, saying if it would amount to the “largest expansion of drilling off Florida’s coast in the country’s history.”

That's criticism???

[isthisnickcool]

"I can't imagine that Jeb is going to be very happy about this."

That wimp was tittering about illegals a couple of weeks back and wants in state tuition for children of illegals.

I hope Jeb Bush is unhappy for a long time. I also hope his current job is his last job in politics.

[oceanview]

OK, let's see if it happens. I predict it will not, the sheeple have been conditioned by the MSM to be "environmentally sensitive" - and that means no oil drilling. they won't wake up. these people think electricity just comes out of the wall.

premium is already $3.50 here in NY.

[snowsislander]

Paul Cicio, executive director of the Industrial Energy Consumers of America, said Lease 181 offered the country’s “greatest near-term supply option” because of its closeness to existing production infrastructure farther west in the Gulf along Louisiana’s and Texas’s coastlines, where much of the nation’s energy infrastructure is located.

Yes, production from Florida's side of the Gulf should be able to leverage at least some of the western Gulf's infrastructure.

Also, there's been talk about new nuclear capability in Florida, though I don't believe that anything has been submitted to the NRC yet. Here is the NRC's January 2006 list of expected licensing activities over the next few years:

Table 1 - FY 2006-2008 New Reactor Licensing Planned Activities

FY 2006	FY 2007	FY 2008
Complete 3 ESPs North Anna Clinton Grand Gulf
Start Southern (Vogtle) ESP	Continue Southern ESP	Continue Southern ESP
DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS	DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS	DC pre-application activities for EPR, PBMR, ACR, and IRIS
Continue ESBWR DC	Continue ESBWR DC	Continue ESBWR DC
		Start EPR DC
		Start PBMR DC
Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants	Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants	Pre-application activities for 11 potential COL applicants
	Start Dominion (North Anna) COL	Continue Dominion COL
	Start South Carolina E&G COL	Continue SC E&G COL
		Start Duke COL
		Start NuStart 1 (Bellefonte) COL
		Start NuStart 2 (Grand Gulf) COL
		Start Southern (Vogtle) COL
		Start Constellation COL
		Start Progress Energy (Harris) COL
		Start Progress Energy (Florida) COL
		Start Entergy (River Bend) COL
Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development	Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development	Regulatory Infrastructure Development and Technical Development
Start NGNP interactions with DOE	Continue NGNP interactions with DOE	Submit Joint NGNP licensing strategy to Congress
* Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR), pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR), Advanced Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) Reactor (ACR), and International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS)Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Department of Energy (DOE)

[SierraWasp]

Hoo boy! That cartoon is priceless!! I hope I see it regularly on all the "alternative energy" pipedream threads on FR from now on!!!

[CWOJackson]

Seems most Florida residents are pretty much satisfied with their Governor. I'm sure he won't loose any sleep even if he knew you weren't. As for whether this is the end of his political career or not remains to be seen.

[isthisnickcool]

Jealous?

Nope, not a bit. Like I've said for a long time, it's a good deal if you can get it. Put a few bucks in a sports deal, get the taxpayers to pay for it and check out with millions after putting pennies in. The whole Bush family has made a lot of money off their power and connections for decades. Hey, good for them. I'm impressed by people that have become rich because people gave them the money. I had to make my money on my own. How about you?

[Amelia]

The plan would prohibit drilling within 100 miles of Florida’s coast, to minimize the potential damage of an oil spill getting on the wrong side of Katherine Harris and Mel Martinez.

They don't want the tourists to see any oil wells.

Actually, it's about time. Or maybe 30 years too late.

We should have learned in the 1970s that if our economy is going to be based on petroleum, we don't want to be dependent on countries that don't like us to supply us with it.

[I got the rope]

premium is already $3.50 here in NY.

Yikes... I heard that your state has the most taxes on fuel than any other.

[hinckley buzzard]

an oil spill that far offshore the damage would be minimal

The last time I was on the Gulf Coast it was befouled by red tide. Might as well have been an oil spill, might better have been an oil spill--would have smelled better. Floridians are precious, and stupid, about their lousy beaches.

They can be totally polluted any time by natural causes but let the nation benefit from some oil in the meant time? NO WAY!!

A-holes.

[OKIEDOC]

Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat running for reelection, criticized the plan.

Coment:

What a frigging two faced back stabbing hypocrite.

Along the lines of Murdering Ted Kennedy.

Ted drinks up enough alcohol each day to fuel a good sized SUV for a year.

[Capt. Tom]

where does "off the coast of florida" end? 100 miles is not enough, now florida wants 260 miles of control?

Most State waters extend out 3 miles. (For some reason in Texas I believe they go out 9 miles.) The Federal waters start where the Statge waters end and go out to 200 miles.

However if you are near another country you split the difference. For example another country Cuba is only 90 miles from Florida, we get 45 miles they get 45 miles, so the state waters go out 3 miles from Florida and the Feds go the rest of the way to 45 miles,then you are in Cuban waters.

On Florida's east coast the closeby Bahamas would be a factor. The same consideration has to be given to the Bahamas with the waters between Florida and the Bahamas

Where they think the oil is off Florida, is overwhelmingly in Federal waters out side the State waters.- tom

[I got the rope]

I know of one permit that has been approved, I did not know all of these were in the works...great post.

[kenth]

It was absolutely disgusting to see the maps of drilling rigs when Florida was whining about fuel shortages after Katrina. The rigs all stop at the border.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

They don't want the tourists to see any oil wells.

Most tourists see blight. I see progress.

[gogogodzilla]

You know, I am registered to vote in Florida.

While I'd like to kick out Bill Nelson (D)... the real question is whether the Republican alternative would vote to authorize the drilling.

And after researching the Republicans running for the primary... I don't see any of them supporting oil drilling either.

So what's the point?

Unless something changes, I'll be voting either for either the Libertarian party or the Constitution Party.

[Iscool]

You notice there was no mention of refineries...

As people have said, there is no such thing as American oil...This new crude would go into the International market...To sell at 75 bucks a barrel...We already sell (BP sells) the oil that comes down the pipeline from Alaska to China, or Japan or somone over there for 75 bucks a barrel...

There is no shortage of crude, or gasoline and obviously natural gas...Until they start talking refineries, and bringing down the price of gasoline, I'll be convinced this is just a scheme to put more money into the hands of the multi-millionaires...