Posted on 05/05/2008 6:29:39 AM PDT by Red Badger
US Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM), ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the American Energy Production Act of 2008 (S.2958) to increase domestic production of oil and natural gas and to fund the development of oil shale and coal-to-liquids technology. Eighteen other senators co-sponsored. Included in the bill is language for a coal-derived fuels mandate.
The bill would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as well as the Atlantic and Pacific regions of the Outer Continental Shelf for exploration and production; and lift the one-year moratorium on developing oil shale in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.
Specific provisions of the bill include:
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Outer Continental Shelf. The bill allows petitions for leasing activities in the Atlantic and Pacific regions of the Outer Continental Shelf. The bill allows the Governors of coastal states to submit a petition for a lifting of the moratorium within their state boundaries. The bill creates a revenue sharing agreement for participating states in which 37.5% of revenues will go to new producing states, 12.5% to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and 50% to the Federal Treasury. *
ANWR. The bill establishes a competitive oil and gas leasing program for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Coastal Plain under the Mineral Leasing Act. It provides for a 50/50 share of ANWR revenues between the Federal Government and the State of Alaska. Directs that $35 million of the State share be deposited annually into a “Coastal Plain Local Government Impact Aid Assistance Fund” for Alaska communities. *
Permitting. Repeals the $4,000 fee for new applications for permits to drill that was established in last year’s Omnibus Appropriations Bill. *
Refineries. Grants the EPA authority to accept consolidated applications for permits required to construct and operate refineries, and authorizes financial assistance to states and Indian tribes for the hiring of personnel to process permits. Establishes a 360-day deadline for the approval or disapproval of consolidated permit applications for new refineries and a 120-day deadline for applications to expand existing refineries. *
Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Suspends filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for 180 days. *
Renewable Fuel and Advanced Energy Technology. Amends the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 to strike the definition of renewable biomass and replace it with the Senate-passed definition. *
Establishes a program of direct loans and grants to accelerate the production of advanced batteries in the United States. *
Establishes a research program to determine infrastructure needs for the transport of renewable fuel blends, and directs the Secretary of Energy to consider the compatibility of existing infrastructure with intermediate blends of renewable and petroleum based fuels. *
Studies the environmental and efficiency attributes of diesel-fueled vehicles. *
Coal-Derived Fuels. Mandates that 6 billion gallons of coal-derived fuels be produced by 2022, starting at 750 million gallons in 2015 and ramping up by that same amount annually. Requires that CTL fuels produced result in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions not greater than those associated with gasoline and provides waiver authority based on economic or environmental harm. *
Oil shale. Repeals the one year moratorium on funds to complete final regulations for the commercial leasing of oil shale established in last year’s Omnibus. *
Increases the current allowable contract duration of five years to 25 years for procurement of synthetic fuels by the Department of Defense. *
Repeals Section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which prohibits federal agencies from procuring alternative fuels with lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions greater than those associated with conventional fuels that they replace.
Domenici and thirteen other Senators have asked the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) to analyze the impact the legislation will have on America’s reliance on foreign oil and energy prices as compared to forecasts the agency made in its Annual Energy Outlook 2008.
The EIA has assessed the impact of drilling in ANWR before. In March of 2004, the Energy Information Administration, at the request of Representative Richard W. Pombo, then Chairman of the US House Committee on Resources, published a report using government figures and analyzing the projected effect of drilling in ANWR. The report lays out three scenarios: one for low-oil resources, one the mean case, the other for high oil resources.
Some of the report’s findings:
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The mean-case estimate is that there are 10.4 billion technically recoverable barrels of oil in ANWR, divided into many discrete fields. This estimate includes oil resources in Native lands and State waters out to a 3-mile boundary within the coastal plain area. The mean estimated size of oil resources in the Federal portion of the ANWR coastal plain is 7.7 billion barrels. *
It will take approximately 10 years to bring the first field on-line (comparable to other Arctic drilling). *
Assuming sequential development of the fields, rank ordered by size, ANWR production would peak, in the mean case scenario, in 2024 at 870,000 barrels of oil per day. *
Assuming that every barrel of ANWR oil is consumed domestically, it would reduce imports on a barrel-for-barrel basis.
Co-sponsors of S.2958 include Senators Allard (R-CO); Barrasso (R-WY); Bennett (R-UT); Bond (R-MO); Bunning (R-KY); Chambliss (R-GA); Cornyn (R-TX); Enzi (R-WY); Hutchinson (R-TX); Inhofe (R-OK); Isakson (R-GA); McConnell (R-KY); Murkowski (R-AK); Sessions (R-AL); Stevens (R-AK); Thune (R-SD); Voinovich (R-OH); and Wicker (R-MS).
Resources
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American Energy Production Act of 2008 (S.2958)
‘This will be fought tooth and nail by the Rats and their envio-buddies.’
Yes, it will. And, those of us who believe we MUST work on domestic energy sources so we stop dependence on foreign sources, MUST FIGHT BACK....or better yet, take the initiative. Calls, emails etc worked on the ILLEGAL immigration bill and maybe massive calls,emails will help in this instance too. Maybe not, but, if we don’t try we have no chance.
Thanks!
You’re welcome
Michael Ramirez is the BEST political cartoonist around!
Didn’t see nuclear power in this. It has everything else, why not that? Why also the funding: should cost nothing.
Regarding coal liquification refineries:
The Dem Govenor of Montana stated that there is one refinery being built right now to convert coal to gasoline.
However, based on the MT & WY coal deposits that 10-15 more could be built based on the $50-55 cost per barrel equivilent to produce it.
New construction of refineries was being held up by legislation in the US Senate as to the tax on carbon emmissions. I saw this all on Glen Beck’s show last week.
Where’s my pitchfork?
The military and the Strategic Petroleum Reserve should be required to get a small percentage of their oil from coal at any price. That is strategic. The military has always played the prime role in inspiring major leaps in technology. That's because initially only the DoD can afford it. The price eventually drops and then the new technology goes mainstream. We should foster this time-honored process.
I'd hate to think if the leftists got their way and the threat of war was eliminated. We'd hardly ever invent or discover another thing. As long as we have leftists that's impossible though. Leftists and their envy are the cause of most wars. That is their one useful feature: to create major problems that conservatives have to hunker down to fix.
‘Regarding coal liquification refineries:
The Dem Govenor of Montana stated that there is one refinery being built right now to convert coal to gasoline...’
I, too, saw a TV report on this. Makes you shake your head....seems like a no brainer...why aren’t we doing this.
Hmmmm......no BRAINer....Dems....
Because some of the people hit hardest by high oil prices usually vote Democrat.
How do you expect Republicans to ever regain a majority if they don't force such votes and expose the Democrats as the main reason why the cost of oil is so high?
Unfortunately, the GOP couldn't actually pass this kind of legislation back in 2001 to 2007, because the had far too many RINOs in their ranks, and the price of oil was not yet as painful as it is now.
As the price of oil has gone up, the situation has changed, and people are less likely to just listen to the environmental B. S. about how burning oil is destroying our world without questioning it.
I think this is just to address the gasoline/diesel conundrum....Nuclear will be another battle for another election..........When the price of electricity goes thru the roof because we are using all our coal for fuel........
Next to your gun and Bible?..........
When I was a child my parents were so poor they couldn't afford a piece of coal for my Christmas stocking.
We had a coal pile out back for heating. A piece of coal was a good thing........
Doubly tragic since we lived in a coal-mining town.
Now THAT IS POAH!............
One can hope.
Cut all aid to the UN and reinvest that money into a “Manhattan Project” for oil exploration and biofuel (non-ethanol) science. That would be money well spent.
U.N.’s World Food Program Cried Poverty While Sitting on Cash Stockpile of More Than $1.22 Billion
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353944,00.html
In the case of CTL (Coal-to-Liquids) the science has been done for decades and decades! What we need is plants built and ready to go! In the case of Bio-Diesel, all you need is a press and a filter...........
To put the Dems, esp. Barry Hussein and Shrillary, on record as opposing energy independence.
He vetoed it and used as an excuse that it'd take 10 years to begin production and that it wasn't worth it. Well, here we are 13 years later with no oil, and the SOBs are making the same damned excuse. We could have had several hundred thousand barrels a day flowing for the last 3 years...but for that scumbag and his like-minded friends on the Left.
If McCain doesn't make a BIG issue of this, against either RAT, he's a damned fool. Another few hundred thousand barrels a day would have oil in the neighborhood of $70-$80/bbl., and gasoline at probably no more than $2.50/gal. nationally. The rest of your gas bill you can thank Bill Clinton, Al Gore and the rest of the enviro-whacko Lefties for.
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