WASHINGTON – Two major developments this week spell trouble for the Obama Administration’s war on affordable energy. Energy majors ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and Shell announced the completion of a state-of-the-art Marine Well Containment System (MWCS) capable of controlling catastrophic spills like the Deepwater Horizon accident this past spring. In addition, Federal Judge Martin Feldman granted Ensco Offshore an injunction, ordering Secretary Salazar to act on five deepwater permits within thirty days. Thomas Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, released the following statement in response:
“With the development of a technology capable of dramatically limiting the impacts of an offshore well blowout, it seems that the Obama Administration has run out of excuses for banning productive activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the Marine Well Containment System was crafted in conjunction with government regulators in order to meet strict specifications, there is no reason for the Obama Administration to continue preventing responsible energy companies from returning to the Gulf.”
“The Obama Administration has gone to great lengths to hold on to this misguided moratorium, so the chances of them being swayed by this major development seems slim. If new technology that makes drilling even safer will not sway the Administration, the rule of law may. Judge Feldman’s decisions to grant Ensco Offshore an injunction and to order Sec. Salazar to act on five deepwater permits is a major step in the right direction. Unfortunately, Sec. Salazar has ignored Judge Feldman before and is facing contempt charges for doing so.”
“The Obama Administration’s ‘energy’ agenda is killing jobs on the Gulf coast and around the country. With the industry producing new technologies that make drilling even safer and a federal judge repeatedly ordering Sec. Salazar to do his job and act on the deepwater permits, the Obama Administration’s crusade against affordable energy and American energy workers must end.”
