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With Offshore Moratorium Gone,But Not Really, IER’s Kish Coins New Term: Permitorium. Washington Examiner (10/14) editorializes, “ Sen. Mary Landrieu waseither being diplomatic or disingenuous when she used "good start" todescribe Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's lifting of the federal government'sdrilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico. More to the point was her insistencethat lifting the ban means nothing in the absence of "an action plan toget the entire industry in the Gulf of Mexico...

Let the “Permitorium”Commence: Statutory Ban on Responsible Development in the Gulf May Be Gone– But No One Actually Believes Anything’s Really Going to Change.Politico (10/12) reports, “The Obama administration Tuesday lifted itsban on deepwater oil and gas drilling a month ahead of schedule, but it isn’tenough to get its top budget nominee past Sen. Mary Landrieu, a LouisianaDemocrat who said the move doesn’t go far enough. Interior Secretary KenSalazar removed the moratorium imposed after...

I’m Feeling Lucky: GoogleAnnounces Plan to Drop $5 Billion on 350-Mile Stretch of Wind Mills Offshore --$14.2 Million for Every 5,280 Feet of Installed Equipment.NY Times (10/12) reports, “Google and a New York financial firm haveeach agreed to invest heavily in a proposed $5 billion transmission backbonefor future offshore wind farms along the Atlantic Seaboard that couldultimately transform the region’s electrical map. The 350-mile underwaterspine, which could remove some critical...

$170k Salary Isn’t Enoughfor Top Energy Advisor to Sen. Reid -- Dude Turns Tidy Profit Buying andSelling Wind, Solar Stocks – Right Before His Office Announces New TaxCredits for ‘Em.Wall Street Journal (10/11) reports, “Chris Miller nearlydoubled his $3,500 stock investment in a renewable-energy firm in 2008. It wasa perfectly legal bet, but he's no ordinary investor. Mr. Miller is the topenergy-policy adviser to Nevada Democrat and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,who helped pass...

Rememberthat “Independent” BP Report that Examined the Macondo Blowout? Turns Out,Report Underwent Extensive Legal Review, Editing by Company Lawyers.Wall Street Journal (10/8) reports, “—BP PLC's lawyershelped prepare its internal investigation into its Gulf of Mexico drillingdisaster, according to the report's lead author, raising questions about thestudy's impartiality. The report, led by Mark Bly, was presented by BP as animpartial investigation into what caused the April 20 explosion,...

ADN– “Bottom Line: Shell should get the chance to drill in the Beaufort Seain 2011.” Anchorage Daily News (10/6) Editorializes, “ShellAlaska is seeking permits from the Department of the Interior for exploratorydrilling at lease sites in the Beaufort Sea in the summer of 2011. In April,the Deepwater Horizon explosion, blowout and spill in the Gulf of Mexico shutdown drilling there and scrapped drilling off the East Coast. Arctic plans wereput on hold. Those plans are still on hold. Secretary...

WhyRewrite a Good Headline? “Interior Secretary Salazar Is Costing America Plenty”of Jobs. Thomas J. Pylewrites (10/4) for FoxNews.com , “After toeing the White House line beforethe BP Oil spill commission on the future of offshore energy exploration,Interior Secretary Ken Salazar continued his public relations tour last weekwith a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center. In the speech he outlined the Obamaadministration’s stance on energy policy, and specifically offshoreexploration. Secretary...

UtilityRate Increase for First Family (Taxpayers) Coming Spring 2011; White HouseAnnounces Plans to Increase Use of Most Expensive Form of Electricity.AP(10/5) reports, “ Solar power is coming to President Barack Obama's house. The most famousresidence in America, which has already boosted its green credentials byplanting a garden, plans to install solar panels atop the White House's livingquarters. The solar panels are to be installed by spring 2011, and will heatwater for the first family and...

Your taxDollars, Hard at Work: $700K NSF Grant Awarded to NY Theater Company to ProduceShow on Climate Change – Meanwhile, nearly 1/10 Americans Remain Jobless.New York Times (10/3) reports, “The National ScienceFoundation has awarded a $700,000 grant to the Civilians, a New York theatercompany, to finance the production of a show about climate change. “The GreatImmensity,” with a book by Steven Cosson (“This Beautiful City”) and music andlyrics by Michael Friedman (“Bloody Bloody Andrew...

Follow Us Here: SenateDemocrat Angry at Senate Republican Because Senate Republican Tried to PassSenate Democrat’s Bill to Delay EPA Carbon Criminalization.E&E News (9/28, subs. req’d) reports, “Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) is gettingfrustrated that his Republican colleagues continue to seek votes on his bill todelay U.S. EPA climate rules without asking him first. Republicans Kit Bond ofMissouri and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have both sought votes in recent monthson Rockefeller's bill to...