Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Energy Gangsterism [Iain Murray]
The House is about to start debating its version of the aptly-named "Gang of Ten Sixteen Twenty's" purported compromise Energy Bill. Anyone who believes this is a pro-drilling bill is fooling themselves. It allows a tiny amount of drilling while pushing forward all the fever dreams of the anti-energy environmentalist movement. I urge everyone to read Marlo Lewis' post on this from Planet Gore yesterday. Note in particular that the bill will:
Permanently ban access to about 97 percent of the undersea oil lying within 50 miles of the California coast.
Continue the ban on energy production in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Impose a brand-new ban on oil and gas leases in Alaska’s coastal waters out to 50 miles.
Not allow states that approve new leases beyond 50 miles to share royalties with the federal government, thus stripping any financial incentive for states to stand up to environmental pressure groups, who will continue to agitate against any new oil and gas operations offshore.
This is not a compromise. It is a sell-out to the anti-energy gangsters.
09/16 11:23 AM
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