AFP-VA Welcomes Interior Oil and Gas Plan Advancing Offshore Natural Resource Development

Feb 20, 2018 by AFP

RICHMOND, VA – Americans for Prosperity-Virginia (AFP-VA) issued the following statement ahead of Wednesday’s Bureau of Ocean Energy and Land Management (BOEM) public meeting in Richmond on the Department of the Interior’s proposals for responsibly developing the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024:

“For too long, Virginia has faced burdensome barriers that have stifled our domestic energy production and limited opportunities and economic growth for our state. That’s why we support the Trump Administration and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s offshore oil and gas exploration plan. This plan is a potential path to a more diverse Virginia economy, good paying jobs, and lower power bills,” said State Director JC Hernandez. “Allowing exploration is a crucial step in a more robust, diversified Virginia economy and we should seize the opportunity.”

Background:

Secretary Zinke recently announced the next step for developing the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) for 2019-2024. The plan proposes nine new lease sales in the Atlantic Region, including three in the Mid-Atlantic sub-region, which spans coastlines from Delaware down to North Carolina.

This represents a major policy change from the previous administration and it will have major impacts on American energy production and the availability of affordable, reliable energy for American families. For context, consider that the Obama-era plan kept open only 6 percent of the acres available for drilling in the OCS. This new plan would open-up up to 90 percent of them. Additionally, the U.S government hasn’t sold leases for oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts in more than 33 years. In contrast, the new proposed plan could open nearly all the country’s offshore areas for oil and gas drilling.

For further information or an interview, reach Lorenz Isidro at LIsidro@afphq.org or (703) 887-7724. 

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) exists to recruit, educate, and mobilize citizens in support of the policies and goals of a free society at the local, state, and federal level, helping every American live their dream – especially the least fortunate. AFP has more than 3.2 million activists across the nation, a local infrastructure that includes 36 state chapters, and has received financial support from more than 100,000 Americans in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

###

© 2024 AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | PRIVACY POLICY