UPDATE (5/28/10): Read a more recent statement from API President and CEO Jack Gerard regarding President Obama's May 27 announcement delaying and cancelling some offshore development projects.

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President Obama announced an energy strategy today that includes expanding offshore drilling in certain areas along the Atlantic coast, in a portion of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of Alaska.

API President and CEO Jack Gerard responded by saying:

"The announcement by President Obama and Secretary Salazar is a positive development. We look forward to reviewing the details of the proposal, and we stand ready to work with them to make this a reality. We appreciate the administration's recognition of the importance of developing ou... more »

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has signed a law that would allow his state to file eminent domain proceedings against the federal government.

The goal: to gain control of state lands where energy development cannot occur because they are surrounded by protected federal lands.

Since the U.S. Constitution prohibits condemning federal lands, it's unlikely that Gov. Herbert will prevail in court, but his action is sending a message to Washington where energy-rich lands have been put off-limits by the federal government.

"When the donkey doesn't move," the governor said at a news conference, "you need to hit him across the head with a two-by-four just to get their attention." (The Wall Street Journal)

Energy development can generate well-paying jobs and provide economic opportunity. Pennsylvania, for... more »

With an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, was the ideal setting for a job fair last week, featuring 50 employers including members of the oil and natural gas industry.

Sitting atop the Marcellus Shale formation, county residents have the opportunity to join an industry that already supports 9.2 million American jobs and is poised to create more.

Bob Garland of Universal Well Services Inc. described the job opportunities during a PowerPoint presentation. Citing a Penn State study, he said the industry is likely to create more than 98,000 jobs and funnel $14.8 billion into the state's economy this year.

About 1,750 wells have been drilled in the Marcellus Shale so far, and many more are expected. (Daily Courier) By using the co... more »

API today filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its handling of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) rule.

In a statement issued this afternoon, API noted that EPA missed Congress's deadline to finalize the rule by a year and a half, combined the 2009 and the 2010 biomass-based diesel volume requirement, and made the rule retroactive to January 1, 2010.

API's statement says:

"While the U.S. oil and natural gas industry recognizes and appreciates the role of ethanol and other biofuels in the fuel marketplace, we are deeply concerned that the Environmental Protection Agency's final RFS2 rule could result in higher consumer costs. By setting retroactive requirements, refiners and ultimately consumers, will be penalized for EPA's inability to get this rule o... more »

Within the next few days, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is expected to announce his decision on America's offshore leasing program. In case you haven't been following this story closely, here's some background information.

• A few months ago, a federal court ordered the Interior Department (DOI) to re-examine its current 2007-2012 five-year offshore leasing plan, saying that the environmental impact analysis was insufficient. The court allowed Gulf of Mexico leasing to continue, but put Alaskan leasing on hold.

• Lease Sale 220, which involves the leasing of acreage 50 miles off Virginia's coast, is contained in the disputed plan and is scheduled for 2011. Last week Liz Birnbaum, director of the Minerals Management Service (MMS), said the Virginia lease sale also is being re-evaluated.

• S... more »