The following op-ed from David Batt, Executive Director of Consumer Energy Alliance – Florida, appeared in The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper.
April 8, 2010 While I appreciate the president’s effort to develop a plan to open areas of our nation’s waters to offshore oil and natural gas exploration that addresses our domestic opportunities, I am disappointed that it will not take effect until 2012 and worry it will delay planned lease sales already scheduled to take place before 2012. Furthermore, the president’s plan cancels lease sales that have been scheduled in Alaska. This is problematic because the state holds important energy resources that could play a vital role in decreasing our nation’s reliance on foreign oil.
It is my sincere hope the administration will give further consideration to opening up other parts of our nation’s waters that contain oil and natural gas resources. CEA Florida supports reasonable, thoughtful and balanced solutions to our nation’s energy challenges. The key to meeting these challenges is to diversify our energy portfolio and tap into all the resources we have available, including oil and natural gas.
