Citing Democrats propensity to pander to special interests by ignoring the good that will come from environmentally-conscious oil and natural gas drilling, GOP candidate for governor, Bob McDonnell, called upon his Democratic opponents for governor to join him in writing a letter to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar to counter Gov. Tim Kaine’s letter that asked to delay the sale of a lease for exploration and development of energy resources off the Virginia coast.
“I urge the Democratic candidates for Governor to put aside their pandering to special interests and do what’s right for Virginia families. Democrats need to stop saying no to new jobs and revenue for Virginia. Offshore production of natural gas and oil is not the entire solution to our economic and energy challenges, but it is part of the solution and we need to stop with the delays and start making progress,” said McDonnell. “Along with nuclear, solar, renewable and other sources offshore production helps us move toward energy independence and create jobs to get our economy moving again.”
As prices soared to over $4 a gallon last year, even Sen. Mark Warner campaigned for offshore drilling. But only Republicans in Congress, led by Rep. Eric Cantor, were able to stage a dramatic stand-off to advance a comprehensive energy plan, which included oil and natural gas drilling.
Because of this effort – and the economics, President Bush lifted the moratorium on offshore drilling and Congress did not renew the then 25-year ban on the practice.
Now, the main sticking point is current Virginia law, which it seems only Democrats in the General Assembly and Gov. Tim Kaine are reluctant to change.
“A Governor committed to offshore energy exploration and development could work with the General Assembly to immediately broaden Virginia’s law to allow that to occur. As Governor of Virginia I will support legislation that will open Virginia’s offshore waters, starting at 50 miles off the coast, to environmentally safe exploration and drilling for oil and gas,” said McDonnell. “Too many jobs and too much revenue are at stake to do otherwise. There is no reason to surrender Virginia’s competitive advantage when this change could easily be achieved next session of the General Assembly. This needed legislative fix is no reason to delay the leasing process scheduled for 2011 for another four years.”
It is estimated that offshore natural gas production off of the Virginia coast would, over a 10-year period, likely create 2,578 new jobs, induce capital investment of $7.84 billion, yield $644 million in direct and indirect payroll, and result in $271 million in state and local taxes, according to an Old Dominion University study.
