Randall Luthi, president, National Ocean Industries AssociationSecretary Jewell will inherit an offshore US oil and gas leasing plan that is not new. It restricts the oil and natural gas industry to the same areas of exploration that we’ve been searching for decades. In 2008, moratoria were lifted and the door opened to exploration for 85%of offshore areas. Instead of crossing the threshold into American energy security, the current five year plan shuts the door on billions of barrels of oil, trillions of cubic feet of gas, billions in additional federal revenue, and tens of thousands of new jobs. Secretary Jewell should immediately initiate a truly new five year plan and uphold the President’s pledge to streamline the permitting process.
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