Just a thought, but how great would it be if one of this fall’s presidential debates focused solely on energy issues?

Past presidential debates have discussed the economy and jobs, national security and foreign policy, and of course all of those are important. Yet, when you think about it, energy is the nexus where all come together.

Energy runs our economy, literally, and the quest for it supports millions of jobs and could create hundreds of thousands more. Our need for reliable, affordable energy figures prominently in national security and foreign policy decisions. An America that meets most or all of its energy needs here at home would be safer, its prosperity less vulnerable to geo-political developments.

So, when the people who decide the topics for this year’s presidential... more »

The warmed-over claim that oil and natural gas companies aren’t using large numbers of leases on public lands is like a Mark Twain line: What’s the difference between a cat and a lie? A cat only has nine lives!

Seriously, here we go again, with the administration claiming (again) that leases in federal areas offshore and onshore aren’t being used. It made similar claims in 2009 and again last year. Politico Pro [subscription required] says this year’s report is basically last year’s with a few updated numbers. Here’s a statement from Interior Secretary Ken Salazar:

“These lands and waters belong to the American people, and they expect those energy supplies to be developed in a timely and responsible manner and with a fair return to taxpayers.”

Let’s be clear: It’s simply fal... more »

Reuters reports that eight deepwater drilling rigs are expected in the Gulf of Mexico this year, which would bring the active deepwater contingent to 29 – just short of the number before the 2010 Macando accident. While that will be a positive step, here are some reasons to hold off popping the champagne corks:

• The eight rigs are not yet in the Gulf, not yet working.
• While permit applications to work on Gulf jobs have been submitted, the rigs will return there only if the permits are approved.
• Given “A” and “B” above, it’s still premature to talk about Gulf drilling being back to normal or “close to pre-moratorium levels.”
• The eight rigs would bring the Gulf rig count to “just short of the level” before the administration’s permit moratorium, not equal to levels of two y... more »

With a nod to H.L. Mencken, who made art out of presidential punditry nearly a century ago, the current president’s election-year energy campaign is rife with “balder and dash.” Consider two recent administration pronouncements – to allow offshore seismic testing and to expedite permitting for drilling on federal lands – each of which amount to quite a bit less than meets the eye.

Let’s look at the second one first. In North Dakota to see an energy boom in progress, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar pledged a new effort to speed up federal onshore permitting:

“…Salazar touted new automated tracking systems for managing lease sales and monitoring applications to drill wells on public lands that could pare processing time down to 60 days from nearly 300 now.”

Certainly, reducing the... more »

As the president hits the road to talk about energy, he should first listen to what the American people are saying, reflected in two new polls this week.

Start with a Harris Interactive survey that shows 76 percent of voters believe increasing taxes on oil and natural gas companies could cost them more at the fuel pump. For a president who continues to talk about hiking taxes on energy companies that should be a big red flag.

Americans who’re getting slammed by higher fuel costs appear to sense that increasing energy taxes would drive up energy producers’ costs, which – as the Congressional Research Service found last year – could decrease exploration, development and production while elevating prices.

Other details from the Harris poll of 1,009 respondents:

• 81 percent believe... more »