Posted on 07/21/2011 5:34:57 AM PDT by thackney
Senator Jim Webb today called for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to incorporate his Virginia Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Energy Production Act in pending offshore energy legislation this week.
“Outer Continental Shelf production has strong support among Virginians and their political leadership,” Senator Webb wrote the Committee’s Chairman and Ranking Member. “I look forward to working with you to ensure that all of Virginia’s OCS energy resources are developed in a timely fashion, through a fair distribution of revenues between the federal and state government, and in an environmentally sound manner.”
In his letter Senator Webb also urged the Committee to expand revenue sharing provisions beyond oil and gas, to include marine renewable technologies. He also emphasized the importance of creating a more equitable OCS map for Virginia, and ensuring those resources are included in the Department of Interior's energy production plan.
Senator Webb has long been a proponent of opening Virginia’s outer continental shelf to oil and natural gas exploration as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing our nation’s energy needs. In 2008, he cosponsored legislation with then-Senator John Warner (R-VA) to allow the Commonwealth to conduct energy exploration activities in the outer continental shelf with revenue-sharing provisions. Earlier this month Senators Webb and Mark Warner introduced the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011.
Details on the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act are here.
Full text of Senator Webb’s letter is below:
July 20, 2011
Dear Chairman Bingaman and Ranking Member Murkowski:
As the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources considers legislation on the safety and expansion of outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas resources, I write to urge you to consider several provisions that are important to the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Development of OCS energy resources if accomplished with a fair and equitable formula for sharing of revenues between the federal and state government will attract well-paying jobs and holds significant promise for boosting needed domestic energy production. OCS production has strong support among Virginians and their political leadership. Virginia's governor, Bob McDonnell, and members of the General Assembly from both parties recognize the benefits to the Commonwealth and to our nation. That is why Senator Warner and I recently introduced S. 1331, which would incorporate Virginia's OCS oil and natural gas resources into the Department of Interior’s 2012-2017 leasing plan. The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011 would also expand the federal government’s map of the Mid-Atlantic exploration area to more accurately and equitably reflect the extent of Virginia’s OCS. It would also direct a portion of leasing revenues to be paid to Virginia to support a range of job-creating projects that will improve land and water conservation efforts, clean energy development, and transportation and other infrastructure improvement projects across the Commonwealth.
In addition to oil and gas resources in the OCS, Virginia is poised to benefit from a range of marine renewable energy resources off the Atlantic coast. I was pleased to learn this week that Senators Landrieu and Murkowski support the extension of oil and gas revenue sharing provisions to also include energy production from marine renewable technologies such as wind, wave, and tidal power. I look forward to working with you to ensure that all of Virginia’s OCS energy resources are developed in a timely fashion, through a fair distribution of revenues between the federal and state government, and in an environmentally sound manner.
Sincerely,
Jim Webb United States Senator
If he keeps this up he’ll have to resign from the ‘Barack Obama Bootlicker Society’...
I don't think it's Obama's boots that he's licking.
Webb is not running for reelection in 2012.
I don’t know. Webb’s bill gives Obama a present of 12 1/2% of all revenues,
http://bearingdrift.com/2011/07/06/webb-and-warner-finally-deliver-on-offshore-drilling/
1/2 for the feds, 37 1/2 % for the state and, this is silly,
12 1/2 %
...”shall be used, at the discretion of the President—
(i) to enhance State land and water conservation efforts;
(ii) to improve State public transportation projects; and
(iii) to establish State alternative energy systems.”
Ah, Webbie - too little, too late...
You’re doing this because you know soon you will be pumping gas, just like the rest of us plebes...
Hope to see you there so I can tell you what I REALLY think of you...
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