By
Governor Bob Riley's Office
.
Published: Wed, June 25, 2008 - 12:52 pm
Last Updated: Wed, June 25, 2008 - 2:12 pm
MONTGOMERY – Governor Bob Riley is urging Congress to increase domestic energy production by authorizing the exploration of proven American energy reserves.“How high do gas prices have to rise before Congress gets serious about increasing our energy supply? For decades, our own supply of energy has been locked up and now Americans are paying the price at the pump,” said Governor Riley. “There is a better way forward. America has vast energy sources. With today’s technology, they can be brought to market in an environmentally-safe manner, and the sooner, the better.”
The Governor has written House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking her to reconsider a decision to indefinitely postpone action on an appropriations bill because of concerns by some members that energy-related amendments could pass. Those amendments are expected to deal with removing congressional restrictions on offshore energy exploration, exploration in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and development of some of America’s vast oil shale resources.
“It is astonishing to me that Congress would deliberately fail to act on these proposals because of fear they are so popular with the American people that they would actually pass. With Americans paying a national average of $4.08 per gallon of gasoline, there is simply no excuse for inaction or delay by Congress, so I respectfully ask you to reconsider this decision,” Governor Riley wrote.
“It will take time for these policy changes to have an impact and that’s exactly why Congress should start immediately,” said Governor Riley. “For many Americans, no concern is more pressing at this time than the record high prices they’re paying for gas. They deserve a full, factual and vigorous debate on these ideas.”
The Governor says Congress should act now on the following:
Give states the option of opening up their offshore oil and gas resources.
Eighty-five percent of the areas off the nation’s shores are currently off-limits to energy exploration. Experts believe these areas contain about 18 billion barrels of oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. These are considered conservative estimates because the data they’re based on come from the 1970s. Congress has restricted offshore access since the early 1980s.
President Bush last week called on Congress to pass legislation giving states the option of opening up their off shore resources. This would allow the federal government and the states to work together to make additional energy resources available and share new leasing revenue.
Some of that revenue, Governor Riley said, could be directed toward research on renewable fuels and alternative energy sources and on environmental protection.
Develop oil shale resources on federal lands.
Oil shale is a type of rock that can produce oil when it is exposed to heat or other processes. One major deposit in the Western United States holds the equivalent of about 800 billion barrels of oil, enough to equal 160 year’s worth of currently projected oil imports. 576 billion of those 800 billion barrels of oil are on federal lands. Congress has blocked oil shale leasing on federal lands.
Permit energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
Of ANWR’s 19.6 million acres, this would permit energy exploration in less than 2,000 acres – about 0.01 percent of the total area. It is estimated ANWR holds more than 10 billion barrels of oil, which is the equivalent of roughly two decades of imported crude oil from Saudi Arabia. When ANWR was created in 1980, Congress specifically reserved a portion for energy development.
“When it comes to developing our own energy resources, for decades Congress has said ‘no.’ Well, ‘no’ is not an energy policy. The path we’re on now leads to irreversible economic damage and jeopardizes our national security. We need to take the necessary steps that put America in charge of her own energy future,” said Governor Riley.
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Like Riley has any room to tell someone else to get serious about a major issue that could affect citizens from here on out. How about abolishing our death penalty laws and recreating them. How about making sure that when the State of Alabama takes a life, they are not committing murder by killing an innocent man. How about finding out the truth and making sure that the victims family and the accused family has what bit of closure they can gain in knowing that the right man was brought to justice? How in the world can Riley tell anyone else to “get serious”?