Secretary Travels to San Francisco for Final Hearing on Nation’s Energy Future
SANFRANCISCO – As Interior secretary Ken Salazar travels to the Bay Areatoday to hold the last in his recent series of public hearings on theprospect of expanding America’s energy potential offshore, AmericanEnergy Alliance (AEA) director of federal affairs Kevin V. Kennedyissued the following statement:
“It’s worth noting thatSecretary Salazar is wrapping up his nationwide energy tour preciselyas he started it – by holding a hearing in a state where energy prices,taxes and unemployment rates are among the highest in the nation. Justlike in New Jersey, in California the secretary will find a stateheavily dependent on foreign, unstable energy supplies, and representedby politicians who would rather send Americans overseas to secure anddefend those energy sources, than allow them to responsibly produce vast offshore resources right here at home.”
Kennedyalso noted that California is the nation’s second largest consumer ofoil, situated adjacent to offshore fields that hold more than 10billion barrels of easily accessible oil — much of it in the vicinityof existing offshore oil platforms. The state also has a terrible budget problem, one that could easily be solved by allowing just a fraction of those 10 billion barrels to be produced.
“Butinstead of pursuing this commonsense, forward-looking strategy foreconomic and strategic security,” Kennedy added, “the state’s electedleadership continues to cling to the memory a spill nearly 40 years old– using it as a cudgel to stamp out anything that approaches a serious,fact-based discussion on the merits of a balanced, supply-orientedenergy policy.”
The good news is that Secretary Salazar appears to have learned a few thingsabout responsible offshore energy production since he left AtlanticCity last week. When asked what he’d say if he were to have aconversation with one of the many California politicians opposed tooffshore development, Salazar said he’d tell them that ‘[you] need to make sure you’re making informed decisions.’
“Wehope the Secretary will have that conversation with Californialawmakers and the hordes of other offshore energy opponents expected toattend tomorrow’s hearing,”Kennedy added.
More from AEA on domestic energy policy: