DOER sponsors hopeful about energy bill

Washington, D.C.-Sponsors of the House Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) say they’re still hopeful of a resolution this session with the Senate version of legislation to strengthen this country’s energy security by opening more Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) areas to oil and natural gas drilling. “We have gotten very close to working out the differences between our bill and that passed by the Senate,” the six members of the House Resources Committee reported in a joint statement. “Among the issues that remain are questions over boundary lines from the original Senate bill and how those map lines will impact the division of revenues to states.” The four Republicans, Reps. Richard Pombo, Calif., John Peterson, Penn., Bobby Jindal, La., and Adam Putnam, Fla., and two Democrats, Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii, and Charlie Melancon, La., indicated negotiations on pending energy legislation will continue when Congress returns to Washington in November, However, they noted, Senate leaders are pressing for recovery of $13 billion in lost royalty revenue from energy companies to help Gulf Coast states from hurricane damage, and want part of future energy production revenues dedicated to eliminating the funding shortfalls for rural schools hurt by reduced budgets because of a severe reduction in timber harvests from public lands. But they added that the Senate has acknowledged the need to expand and diversify America’s energy infrastructure beyond the Gulf of Mexico. “Therefore,” they concluded, “we remain confident that we will complete a bill – this year – that will show the American public we understand their frustration with expensive foreign energy.” Still, agriculture observers remained concerned about the current political atmosphere and strong opposition from environmental groups, which make passage of a comprehensive OCS offshore oil and gas bill difficult. “After the November elections,” remarked ARA’s Richard Gupton, “the most likely scenario is enactment of a modified proposal based on the Senate passed bill.”