Every credible projection of future U.S. energy demand through 2030 predicts that this nation will need more energy in the coming years, including more oil and natural gas. How is the administration addressing this need?

The Interior Department (DOI) yesterday announced that the Virginia offshore lease sale, which is supposed to occur in 2011, is likely to be stalled until 2012. As API has noted in this space many times, Interior Sec. Ken Salazar appears to be practicing a pattern of delay. In recent months, he has delayed lease sales and rescinded leases, hampering the nation's ability to develop domestic oil and natural gas.

Sec. Salazar's new energy development rules also are causing concerns. The Independent Petroleum Association of Mountain States (IPAMS) says DOI is slowing investme... more »

The President delivers his State of the Union address tomorrow, and we expect the focus to be on jobs, as it should be with 15 million Americans out of work. We welcome the President's move to job creation and the economy and extend our hand to work together toward this worthy goal.

We also hope the President takes the opportunity to recognize the potential of energy development to create more jobs; not only jobs from producing more so-called "green energy," but also from producing more American oil and natural gas.

The American oil and natural gas industry clearly has a role to play in putting Americans back to work. The industry already supports more than 9 million American jobs and can create many more. The industry created more than two million additional American jobs in the years 200... more »

In today's episode, I speak with Col. Marty Sullivan about energy and military operations coexisting in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Col. Sullivan is president of the Commonwealth Consulting Corporation, which just completed a study commissioned by Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) on proposed offshore oil exploration in the Eastern Gulf and its impact on training missions.

Use the audio player below to listen to information about the article and follow along with the show notes. I hope you find the podcast informative.

Show Notes:

01:34 There have been concerns over the past few years, particularly since 2005, when Secretary Rumsfeld sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee indicating that oil and natural gas exploration and military operations were probably not... more »

With the legislative agenda apparently changing in the U.S. Senate, it appears that climate legislation proponents are looking for ways to enact a greenhouse gas (GHG) measure by adding it to a jobs bill. According to the Houston Chronicle today, the Senate is expected to take up a jobs-creation package soon, following the House's passage of a $154 billion measure last month.

There's no doubt that the economy and jobs are top priorities for a majority of Americans.

According to a new Pew poll, more than 80 percent of Americans rate the economy, jobs and terrorism as their tops concerns, while the ranking of some other issues has fallen significantly.

Pew reports:

• About 57 percent of Americans say health care costs remain a top priority, which is down from 69 percent in 2008.

• Dealing wi... more »

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a new national air quality standard for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). According to EPA's news release, the new one-hour standard of 100 parts-per-billion (ppb) will "reduce health threats for millions of Americans"--particularly in urban areas near major roadways.

But how strong is the link between NO2 at the level proposed and health? Not very. Today API said the new NO2 standard is based on "faulty science."

"EPA rushed to a decision without completing a thorough review of the science in a manner that allowed proper public participation. Today's standard is bad public policy," API said in a statement. "There is no significant evidence that the short-term NO2 standard established today by the Administrator is necessary to protect public... more »