May 2010 Archives

Should the government clamp a moratorium on new offshore oil and natural gas drilling until more is known about how the Gulf of Mexico spill could have been prevented or minimized?

Key congressional Democrats are urging the Obama administration to halt current oil drilling in the gulf, postpone planned drilling off Alaska, and abandon plans to drill off the Virginia coast. Meanwhile, a group of Gulf Coast lawmakers from both chambers is asking the administration to lift the ban on shallow-water drilling. The month-long suspension imposed by the administration is set to expire May 28 when the Interior Department issues its safety report on offshore energy production. There are seven pending drilling permit applications, two in deep waters and five in shallow.

Should the administration extend the current suspension? Should it be broadened to current and/or future drilling operations in the Arctic Ocean, off the East Coast and other parts of the gulf? Can the U.S. afford to curb its offshore drilling, given its dependence on oil?

13 responses: Jack Gerard, Cindy Shogan, William O'Keefe, David Holt, Bill Meadows, Paul Sullivan, Rodger Schlickeisen, Cindy Shogan, Bill Eichbaum, Frances Beinecke, Mark Muro, Bill Snape, Carl Pope

Updated at 7:47 a.m. on May 17.

Can the climate and energy bill introduced last week by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn., garner enough votes to pass the Senate?

The two senators unveiled their comprehensive legislation without their Republican partner, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Under the bill, electric utilities would be required to buy emission allowances as soon as the trading program kicks in, while energy-intensive and trade-sensitive manufacturers wouldn't be covered until 2016. The bill would give coastal states the right to veto offshore oil and natural gas drilling. It also would pre-empt EPA and state regulations on greenhouse gas emissions and impose a carbon tariff on imports coming from countries that don't have an emissions reduction plan.

What measures would you like to see added to or removed from the bill? Will Graham's absence from the bill's rollout be detrimental to its prospects? How will the ongoing investigation into the gulf oil spill affect negotiations?

EPA Finalizes 'Tailoring Rule' On Greenhouse Gases

Last week the EPA issued final rules requiring large power plants, oil refineries and manufacturers to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The so-called tailoring regulation, which most industry officials oppose, would not kick in until early next year.

Now Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is arguing that the Senate should help the business community by passing the climate change bill, which would block EPA action. "Those who have spent years stalling need to understand: Killing a Senate bill is no longer success," Kerry said in a statement. "And if Congress won't legislate a solution, the EPA will regulate one."

Will the rule pressure senators and interest groups to support the bill? Or will it trigger additional backlash against both the administration and proponents of the bill?

22 responses: Thomas Gibson, Chuck Gray, Donna Harman, Michael C. Formica, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Frank M. Stewart, Mark Muro, Jon A. Anda, David Doniger, Marlo Lewis, Amy Harder, Dirk Forrister, Graciela Chichilnisky, Bill Snape, Jonathan H. Adler, Rodger Schlickeisen, Bob Bendick, Erich Pica, Bill Snape, Thomas J. Pyle, William O'Keefe, Carl Pope

How can the U.S. reduce its dependency on oil -- both foreign and domestic?

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill has spotlighted the risks that accompany offshore drilling, and environmental groups have responded by demanding a ban. Advocates of drilling in U.S. coastal waters counter that this country needs to become less reliant on imports from the Middle East. Forty percent of the energy consumed in the U.S. comes from oil. And 70 percent of that oil is imported.

Will the massive oil spill in the gulf have any impact on the U.S. relationship to oil? Will it spur more investment in so-called clean energy? Will it improve the prospects of climate and energy legislation?

19 responses: Allen Schaeffer, David Parker, Erich Pica, Maggie L. Fox, Daniel J. Weiss, William O'Keefe, Kateri Callahan, Carl Pope, Rodger Schlickeisen, T. Boone Pickens, David Holt, Janet Larsen, Marvin Fertel, Bill Snape, Denise Bode, Kevin Knobloch, Gary Fazzino, Jeffrey Breneman, Jennifer Morgan

As the White House scrambles to respond to the spreading Gulf of Mexico oil spill, should President Obama and Congress drop proposals to allow oil and gas development in coastal regions that were previously off limits to energy development?

Experts say that the BP rig where the spill originated has been leaking into the gulf since it exploded on April 20 and could cause serious damage to coastal regions of Louisiana. As a result, some environmentalists and lawmakers are calling on Obama to reconsider his proposal to expand drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and much of the Atlantic coast. Oil development proposals are also reportedly in the draft climate and energy bill developed by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Joe Lieberman, I/D-Conn.

Should Washington reimpose a drilling moratorium in certain environmentally sensitive areas? Could the oil spill impact negotiations for comprehensive climate and energy legislation?

13 responses: Bob Bendick, Thomas J. Pyle, Erich Pica, Bill Meadows, Rodger Schlickeisen, Jack Gerard, David Holt, Carl Pope, William O'Keefe, Richard Revesz, Robert J. Shapiro, Bill Snape, Graciela Chichilnisky