Posted on 05/10/2008 2:05:03 PM PDT by kellynla
WASHINGTON, DC, May 2 -- US Senate Republicans responded May 1 to near record-high oil prices with a bill to authorize leasing within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and increase access to the Outer Continental Shelf.
S. 2958, the American Energy Production Act, would produce as much as 24 billion bbl of oil from ANWR and the OCS, enough to supply domestic needs for 5 years, according to bill sponsor Pete V. Domenici (R-NM), who also is ranking minority member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee. Seventeen other Senate Republicans are cosponsors.
"For years now, I have been trying to develop more domestic production of oil and gas, and for years, with one exception in the Gulf of Mexico, I have been blocked for political reasons. Consumers are now paying the price for those years of obstruction," Domenici said.
The bill would allow governors of states on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to petition for leasing and have federal moratoriums and withdrawals lifted. New federal leases would operate under a revenue-sharing agreement in which states would receive 37.5%, the federal treasury 50%, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund 12.5%.
It also would repeal the $4,000 fee for onshore drilling permit applications, a 2% reduction of states' shares of federal mineral royalties and a 1-year moratorium on funding formulation of regulations for commercial oil shale leasing. The three provisions were inserted into the Omnibus Appropriations Bill late last year.
Refinery permit provision It also would grant the US Environmental Protection Agency authority to accept consolidated applications for permits required to construct new refineries. Financial assistance to states and Indian tribes for hiring employees to process permit applications also would be authorized. Application decision deadlines of 360 days for constructing new refineries and 120 days for expanding existing plants would be established.
S. 2958 also would suspend crude oil purchases for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for 180 days. It also would repeal Section 526 of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act which bars federal agencies from contracting for alternative fuels with longer greenhouse gas lifecycle emissions than the conventional fuels they would replace. The provision's author, House Oversight and Investigations Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), has said that it would apply to any contract for a coal-to-liquids or other alternative fuel or for "a fuel produced from a non-conventional petroleum source such as tar sands."
The bill also would authorize research to study transportation needs for renewable fuel blends, mandate that 6 billion gal of coal-derived fuels be produced by 2022, launch a study of diesel-fueled vehicles' environmental and energy attributes, and extend US Department of Defense contract limits for synthetic fuels to 25 years from 5 years.
'Produce more at home' "Congress has spent billions to research and develop clean sources of energy," Domenici said, adding, "I've been a leader in those efforts and I will continue to be. However, we must face the fact that no matter what we do, America will still need oil, and without action, an increasingly large portion of that oil will come from unstable regions. With gas prices soaring higher and higher, we must produce more at home and this bill allows us to do that in an environmentally responsible manner."
Sen. John Barraso (R-Wyo.), one of the measure's cosponsors, said, "Record oil prices are a burden whether it is for transportation, home heating, or groceries. The issues of high prices and foreign dependence go hand-in-hand. This bill hits the nail on the head when it comes to addressing America's energy needs."
Another cosponsor, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alas.), said the US has the resources to produce more oil and gas. "We just need the policies that will allow us to develop those resources. We have the technology to not only safeguard the environment while developing resources, but also safeguard Americans' bank accounts at a time when they are struggling to meet rising energy costs," she said.
But the bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate and House since Democrats hold a majority in both and many have said they believe development of alternative fuels and renewable technologies would be more beneficial environmentally and economically.
You can contact your senators here:
Senators of the 110th Congress http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm
ping
This issue alone should be enough to propel Republicans to victory. RATS want us to suffer economic collapse. This needs to be repeated over and over and over again.
“This needs to be repeated over and over and over again.”
Well, I’m tryin’ LOL
This is the third article & thread I’ve posted today.
Now, what we need is for EVERYONE to contact their senators and DEMAND that this bill be passed into law.
Why does the Federal Government get 50% which can be used any way they want. Tie the money to something that will help consumers....like taking the Federal tax off of gas at the pump. How does one beat the greed and the ridiculous social programs of the Federal Government?
It’s about time, GOP! This will be a winning issue for the pubbies.
We need to get our leaders to get this done.
Of course, Governor 'FAKE SUNTAN' is against offshore drilling, too.
I think both of them have a block on my fax #...
Everytime I send aMnestez a fax in Orlando, it wont go thru
That freakin' coward...maybe it's because I told them I was going to work
as hard towards unseating him, as I did for him. LOL
Never going to happen. The decades long indoctrination of a large part of the voting public by leftist run pubic schools and a leftist MSM has guaranteed a dumbed down voting populace that buys the econut anti-capitalist position hook line and sinker.
* 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.
Letters sent to my senators. Both Martinez and Nelson, are against domestic drilling.....as is our governor and all the democrat representatives.
AMEN!!!!!
Thanks for the post.
If States get a lot more money out of the leases than they currently do, you could see many more states opting for drilling/mining.
Letting tribes compete, too, is a good thing. Drill on tribal land, refine on tribal land, and it brings more jobs and stability than a casino.
Heck, tribes in California may even be able to get refineries built on the reservation even though the rest of California won’t allow it. THAT would be an interesting Indian rights case - and a profitable instance, too.
The Florida Republican Party is acting like a bunch of RINOs - starting with Governor fakeSuntan. He doesn't want to drill off Florida, because the tourism industry might get damaged if there's an oil spill. I told him, that when Katrina came through, the oil wells were safe and I also told him that if we don't have energy, we won't have TOURISM!
I wonder if an INDIAN NATION would like to build a NUCLEAR PLANT?? Just think of the NIMBYs getting upset!!
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