Obama Administration’s first year in office worst on record
for homegrown energy development
Washington, DC – Earlier today, the Interior Department announced that new energy development leases on certain federal lands will be considered in 2010. While Secretary Salazar says that “oil, gas and coal will continue to play an important role in our energy mix,” the Institute for Energy Research (IER) released a detailed analysis of the Obama Administration’s energy leasing program today, determining that less federal land – both onshore and offshore – has been leased this year for responsible, well-regulated, 21st century energy exploration than under any other administration in history.
Thomas J. Pyle, president of IER, issued the following statement:
“President Obama and Secretary Salazar may speak of responsible, homegrown energy development, but their actions are in direct contrast to their words. In fact, this administration has kept more publicly-owned federal lands off-limits for energy development this year than any on record.
“And while today’s announcement may make for a good sound bite or talking point, the fact remains that due to Secretary Salazar’s failure to put forth a commonsense plan to increase American energy exploration safely offshore, a de-facto ban remains intact – keeping billions of barrels of job-creating oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas under lock and key.
“This administration should be reminded that these lands and energy resources belong to the American people and should be developed for their use. The American people understand that more domestic energy means more stable prices, more royalties to pay down the federal deficit, and less dependence on unstable regions of the world for energy. With hope, this administration will realize this and act quickly.”
For additional information, please contact Patrick Creighton, 202-621-2947, or Laura Henderson, 202-621-2951.
#####
