The New York Times reports Americans' attitudes toward offshore oil and natural gas development has been generally supportive the past couple of years. What a contrast with the shifts in drilling policy from the administration in Washington!

No surprise the public feels this way. Americans get the basic economics of gasoline prices - that is, the link between the cost of crude oil and prices at the gas pump. Developing domestic energy supplies simply makes sense.

The Times reports:

• A Gallup poll taken immediately after the Macondo accident last year showed 50 percent of Americans still supported offshore drilling, while 46 percent opposed. Less than a year later, in March, the public's drilling support had risen to 60 percent, with 37 percent opposed..
• Public support for offshore drilling... more »

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had some good things to say yesterday:

"Applications for federal permits to drill on public and American Indian lands are expected to increase by close to 50 percent, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday."

Yes! Absolutely yes! The oil and natural gas industry already invests heavily in America and stands ready to invest even more.

"He also said he expects his agency to approve more offshore drilling permits in the coming days."

Yes! Absolutely yes! It would be wonderful if the federal government would let us make that investment in America. But then the good news stopped as the secretary followed that with the administration's latest misinformation about oil and natural gas development...

"It's important for us to recognize that the inventory... more »

The administration announced today that 13 oil and natural gas companies can resume deepwater drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico without submitting revised exploration or development plans for supplemental environmental reviews.

In a statement, Michael Bromwich, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), said he is "taking into account the special circumstances of those companies whose operations were interrupted by the moratorium and ensuring that they are able to resume previously-approved activities." The statement added that the companies will have to comply with new regulations and information requirements imposed after the Deepwater Horizon tragedy.

Although this is probably welcome news for the 13 companies, Bromwich's announcement... more »

In today's episode, I interview Sara Banaszak, API's senior economist, about the administration's recent ban on offshore drilling and its impact on the economy, jobs and energy security.

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

00:17 A few days ago, the Obama administration reversed a policy decision and made several U.S. offshore areas unavailable for oil and natural gas development. The Atlantic and Pacific coastal areas, as well as the eastern Gulf of Mexico, were placed off limits for at least seven years. API's Senior Economist, Sara Banaszak, is in the studio today to discuss this policy shift and to shed some light on the economic impact... more »

"The decision...made last week is inconsistent with the will of the American people." API President and CEO Jack Gerard.

This was one of the statements made by Jack Gerard today as he spoke with reporters today about the administration's decision to halt offshore drilling in the Atlantic, Pacific and the eastern Gulf of Mexico for the next seven years. Coincidentally, as he was speaking, Rasmussen Reports was releasing new polling results showing that 54 percent of U.S. voters believe the new drilling ban will increase gasoline prices and hurt the economy.

The Rasmussen poll isn't the only survey to show support for offshore oil and natural development. As API reported recently, 60 percent of American voters favor offshore drilling, a fact that led Jack to say today that the new drilling b... more »