Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today after the United States House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee passed legislation yesterday to open new offshore areas for American energy production on a bipartisan vote of 25 to 19. The legislation would reopen the waters off the Virginia coast for oil and natural gas exploration and production.
"For too long, the Obama administration has hindered the development of valuable domestic energy resources located off the Virginia coast which provide the potential for a safe, cost-effective and economically viable source of domestic energy production for our state and for the nation. In his State of the Union speech last month, the President stated that the road to economic prosperity and energy security for our nation must be built upon an 'all of the above' approach to responsible energy exploration and production. That is the approach our nation needs. That is the approach Virginia supports. We must utilize all of our domestic energy resources, from oil and gas and coal and nuclear, to wind and solar and biomass, to generate energy and create new jobs for our citizens. As part of this comprehensive approach, we should utilize the offshore oil and gas deposits available right here off the coast of Virginia. In the Commonwealth there is broad, bipartisan support for this policy.
A recent study from 2010 estimates that offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production here in Virginia could create 1,900 new jobs, add $365 million to the Gross Domestic Product and provide $19.5 billion in new government revenues at the federal, state and local levels. In this economy, when our people need jobs and revenues are tight, we can't afford to say no to a policy that has the potential to make such a significant and immediate impact. We need more energy, and we need more jobs. Offshore energy production will help provide both. It is an important component of the "all of the above" approach that the President has advocated, and Virginians support.
I am very pleased that this House committee has moved this legislation forward that would open the Virginia offshore oil and gas reserves to exploration and production. I applaud the Committee's new approach to adjust Virginia's lease sale area and the treatment of lease sale blocks that conflict with important military training areas. This is win-win for the Commonwealth, the military, and the American consumer. I call upon Congress to quickly pass this legislation that will allow the energy industry to expedite production to create jobs, speed our economic recovery and move our state and our nation one step closer to energy independence."
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/News/viewRelease.cfm?id=1113
