Obama released a national ad saying he has “fast-track alternatives” to imported oil. On closer examination, those turn out to be his proposal to spend $150 billion over the coming decade on energy research. Ten years doesn’t sound all that “fast” to us, and there’s no guarantee that the research will result in less oil being imported.
Want a real fast-track alternative? How about the California oil that could be produced within one year that Larry Kudlow and the American Thinker discussed?
A Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. analyst said in a report there is a lot of offshore crude that can be produced relatively quickly. The problem: It is located off California, where politicians have built careers opposing new drilling.
The Minerals Management Service said that of the estimated 18 billion barrels of oil in off-limits coastal areas, almost 10 billion are off the coast of California.
“California could actually start producing new oil within a year if the moratorium were lifted,” the Sanford C. Bernstein report said, because the oil is under shallow water, has been explored and drilling platforms have been there since before the moratoria.
Are you paying attention, Senator McCain? Start beating the drum on this. There’s 10 billion barrels out there. The drilling platforms are still in place. As Sundries Shack notes, if we accessed just one tenth of that, this supply alone could keep the entire country running for seven weeks.
The Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling expires September 30. Lead the fight on this, Senator McCain. This is victory, right here. Make Obama choose between his environmental base and Americans struggling with $4 a gallon gas. One side or the other will be livid with him.
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