The Shadow
RICHMOND (AP) – Gov. Bob McDonnell rolled out his 2012 energy initiatives on Thursday, proposing $500,000 to promote the development of wind power off Virginia’s coast and knocking the federal government anew for blocking oil and gas development in the same waters.
McDonnell said the package will advance his goal of making Virginia the “Energy Capital of the East Coast” through policies that encourage the use of fossil fuels, including coal; help develop renewable sources such as wind and solar; and promote efficiency and conservation. The Republican governor calls his approach an “all-of-the-above” strategy.
“Only by aggressively developing all types of energy and removing bureaucratic hurdles … will we be able to meet our energy needs and reduce our nation’s dependence upon foreign sources of energy,” McDonnell said in a statement.
A leading advocate of pursuing offshore oil and gas, he said the state “continues to aggressively fight back” against the Obama administration’s decision to keep off limits until at least 2017 East Coast energy exploration in waters off Virginia. The delay followed the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster. The April 20, 2010, explosion off Louisiana killed 11 rig workers and led to more than 200 million gallons of oil spewing from a well a mile beneath the sea,
The McDonnell administration also complained about “oppressive new and anti-competitive” federal regulatory actions that are blunting efforts to develop domestic energy resources.
McDonnell has argued that the Department of Interior should at least allow exploration off Virginia to assess the potential of oil and gas deposits in coastal waters.
Testing occurred decades ago and industry officials say new technology will likely reveal more oil and gas than previously believed.
He has found bipartisan support, notably from Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators, in his call to put the East Coast in play for oil and gas development.
Critics have said the oil and gas are not worth the environmental risk to the coast, the fishing industry and tourism.
McDonnell outlined seven legislative proposals and his own initiatives in the energy plan. The funding aimed at promoting offshore wind is for research and development to assist private development. Two or more private interests are likely to express intent in developing wind farms when the federal government opens sections of the Atlantic to leasing.
