Source: Office of Governor Pat McCrory
Governor Pat McCrory joined Alaska Governor Sean Parnell, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to headline a panel today at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. Representatives from Louisiana and Virginia also attended the panel discussion.
The governors underscored their support for federal legislation mandating revenue sharing from development of oil, gas and renewable energy resources in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). They also spotlighted the importance of efficient and consistent regulatory approval for offshore development.
“North Carolina has abundant offshore energy resources that have the potential to create thousands of jobs, produce much-needed revenue and move us closer to energy independence. I’m pleased to join other coastal state governors in calling on the Obama administration to allow for the responsible development of our offshore oil, natural gas and renewable energy resources,” said Governor Pat McCrory.
“As chair of the OCS Governors Coalition, I am pleased that various pieces of legislation are pending in Congress to expand revenue sharing to states that host offshore development,” Governor Parnell said. “Currently, Eastern Seaboard states and Alaska are generally not eligible to share in revenues generated by oil, gas, and renewables in the OCS. These states should be treated equitably with other coastal states.
“We continue to urge the Obama administration to provide efficient and consistent regulatory approval for the development of oil, gas, and renewable energy resources in the OCS. This will increase regulatory certainty and will result in jobs and additional revenue to reduce our nation’s growing debt.
“In the Interior Department’s Five-Year Plan for Oil and Gas Leasing for 2012-2017, the Department did not open access to new areas through 2017, including leases in the Atlantic, despite the fact that a lease sale off of Virginia’s coast had been included in a previous five-year plan. What’s more, Interior postponed all Arctic OCS lease sales by one year from the date proposed in the draft plan. As it stands, 85 percent of America’s OCS is closed to oil and natural gas exploration. This is unacceptable.”
Since its formation in 2011, the coalition of coastal governors has advocated for energy expansion through safe and responsible resource development, and has supported proactive offshore energy production as part of a comprehensive national energy policy. The coalition provides a discussion and policy platform for offshore energy issues shared by the coastal states and the federal government. The governors of Alaska, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Carolina are members.