House passes their version of the energy bill. Main points include:

 

--Allow offshore drilling between 50 and 100 miles out

--No ANWR drilling

--repeals tax cuts for oil industry

--States have to grant permission for drilling within their borders

--Tax incentives for renewables, for consumers and businesses

--Companies need to drill on already-leased federal land

--Release of oil from SPR

 

I haven't said this in a long time, but... this is a pretty good bill. The last item I disagree with, but otherwise, I think its a good compromise. Allow offshore drilling on the continental shelf, incentivize alternatives, no tax breaks for big oil, keep new drilling to already-leased areas.... I have very few complaints.

 

Nicely done.

 

--Companies need to drill on already-leased federal land

Does that mean that they can tell the EPA and so on to go take a flying leap? Many lands with leases can't be drilled because of pending cases by the EPA, PETA, and so on. I don't think this bill does enough, and is suicide for Republicans. No where near enough drilling, but enough so that Democrats can say 'See? We allowed drilling, and it isn't helping!'. Remove the SPR release, i agree that is bad. Drill more.

Does that mean that they can tell the EPA and so on to go take a flying leap? Many lands with leases can't be drilled because of pending cases by the EPA, PETA, and so on. I don't think this bill does enough, and is suicide for Republicans. No where near enough drilling, but enough so that Democrats can say 'See? We allowed drilling, and it isn't helping!'. Remove the SPR release, i agree that is bad. Drill more.

Its not 100% clear on the lease issue. It could mean, no new leases - drill where you are already leased. Or, it could mean, any current leases are released for production, so go for it. Or, as I took it, it means both. So that's a good compromise as well, I think.

 

Sounds like a pretty decent compromise for at least a place to start, hopefully it passes the Senate.

 

Like I was saying before though this is only one of a few steps that need to happen but anything is better than "drill baby drill."

Edited September 17, 200817 yr by lostfan

So the one place there is oil for sure is off limits. Nice.

So the one place there is oil for sure is off limits. Nice.

So all the places there is oil that they have leases for ALREADY are being allowed for drilling. So yes, I'd say, very nice.

 

The White House response is less than thrilled.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/17/white.house.energy/

The White House response is less than thrilled.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/17/white.house.energy/

OF course they are. That $20 billion or so in oil subsidies and another year's delay in building up alternative energy is worth a lot more to the oil companies than those leases are.

The White House response is less than thrilled.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/17/white.house.energy/

And most of the country is less than thrilled with the White House. I guess that makes sense.

 

Idiots. God forbid this administration be willing to compromise on anything.

 

Nashville TN is experiencing a major gasoline shortage (which at least indirectly can be traced both to Ike and to the falling price of gasoline). 85% of the stations in nashville have no gasoline.

Nashville TN is experiencing a major gasoline shortage (which at least indirectly can be traced both to Ike and to the falling price of gasoline). 85% of the stations in nashville have no gasoline.

Knoxville, TN was pretty bad all last week. Gas was at $4.98 and $5.02 at the only two stations within a couple miles of the UT campus.