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)
Makes you wonder why they didn’t do it back then.............. - They did!
...each time it was filibustered by libs and RINOs - and MCCAIN!
It's an election year. So they can nail the Democrats for the gigh price of fuel - Careful now…
the GOP couldn't actually pass this kind of legislation back in 2001 to 2007, because they had far too many RINOs in their ranks - led by MCCAIN
To put the Dems, esp. Barry Hussein and Shrillary, on record as opposing energy independence. - and MCCAIN!
Drilling in ANWR was debated in the Senate in April 2002. By a vote of 46 to 54, the Senate failed to vote cloture and thus limit debate on April 18th.
The sInate break down was thus...
Democrat (50 seats)
Minority Party: Republican (49 seats)
So...who were the republicans that sold us out?
Roll Call Vote
NAYs ---54
(republicans voting with the rats)
Chafee (R-RI) -- FIRED!
Collins (R-ME)
DeWine (R-OH) -- FIRED!
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
* John Sydney McCain (R-AZ) * -- "presumptive” republican presidential nominee...yippee!
Smith (R-NH)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
YEAs ---46
(Rats voting with the Republicans)
Akaka (D-HI)
Breaux (D-LA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Miller (D-GA)
Drilling in ANWR came up for a vote again in 2005. Once again, the "republicans" in the sInate stopped it dead!
ARCTIC DRILLING (Published: 03.20.2005)
On Wednesday the Senate, voting 49 for and 51 against, rejected a plan ... to approve oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). This occurred during debate on the congressional budget blueprint (S Con Res 18).
A yes vote opposed ANWR drilling.
● Yes: John McCain, R -- Ooooops! There you are again, Johnny!
I think drilling in ANWR was approved in 1995 and then vetoed by Clinton.
Yes it was, which is why it was being voted on again in 2002 and 2005 when McCain vetoed it!
Next to your gun and Bible?..........
I’m too bitter to keep it their...by the way...which gun?
Yep
We’d have a million barrels per day comming our way by now!!!
Exactly! The Dems were in opposition mode and convinced the RINOS to go along. We didn't have $100 a barrel oil at the time, so they went before the American people saying that we didn't need to destroy the pristine wilderness for the sake of putting money in the pockets of the oil companies.
This year, they won't have an easy time trying to convince Americans looking at $3.50/gal gasoline that we don't need to tap domestic sources of oil, and build more refineries. I think the Repubs. will have a very good campaign issue in November, if the Dems continue being recalcitrant about it.
It should be a Presidential Executive order.
Chavez will pour a lot of money into the DNC to get this stopped.
We can't even develop shale oil with the stupid moratorium. We are absolutely suicidal with our energy policy in this country.
* Cease all ethanol production. It requires more energy to make than it yields and the unintended consequence is higher food costs. Corn production shifted from feed-corn to subsidized corn for ethanol. Just say "no" to ethanol!
* Immediately create only ONE "blend" of gasoline and cease regional "boutique" blends which are stupid, costly, and meaningless. Even if this is the "cleanest" blend, just make it ONE and be done with it. Trucking custom blends around the country is wasteful.
* Lift the restrictions in order to drill for oil in Alaska, Gulf of Mexico, and other sites in the CONUS as a matter of national security.
* Encourage the petro industry to construct state-of-the-art refineries and/or retrofit current and dormant ones and crank up production for our newly-found oil in the CONUS.
* Make all “carbon credit” scams unlawful. Discrediting Algore should have been a slam-dunk a long time ago. Stop electing Reps who buy into the Global Warming Hoax.
* Construct SEVERAL, regional Pebble-Bed Reactors (or other similar modern designs) that are not considered "breeders", are rechargeable, and cleaner than any current nuclear generator design.
* Use the residual heat from the reactors above to process motor fuel from coal and/or shale. Even though Clinton "stole" some of the best coal reserves, we still have a lot to use.
* Become independent enough to make the cartels (i.e. OPEC) inconsequential.
* Convince local taxing bodies to lift or cap the sales tax on gasoline so that as gas prices go up, the local tax collectors don’t see a windfall revenue jump at the expense of the consumer. The Federal government could compel the states (and locals) to cap the fuel taxes.
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