For Immediate Release
Contact: Ellen Carey
202-461-2382
July 26, 2012
SAFE Applauds Bipartisan Effort to Expand Offshore Drilling
“OPEN Act” could be building block for broad, bipartisan energy security legislation
WASHINGTON – Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) today applauded the bipartisan “Offshore Petroleum Expansion Now Act of 2012,” saying the legislation offers a path forward on domestic energy production, and could serve as a key piece of a more comprehensive energy security bill. The bill was introduced by Senators Murkowski (R-AK), Barrasso (R-WY), Begich (D-AK), Hoeven (R-ND), Inhofe (R-OK), Landrieu (D-LA), Warner (D-VA), and Webb (D-VA).
“It is clear that expanding domestic production of our oil and gas resources offers tremendous advantages for the United States, from reducing the trade deficit to creating jobs and growing the economy, said Robbie Diamond, President and CEO of SAFE. “I applaud these Senators for addressing this critical element in a bipartisan fashion.”
“With the price of oil fluctuating due to tension in Iran, the issue of energy security must be a front-and-center topic. To create a lasting and durable energy security policy, it is critical to have bipartisan support, and address the issue from both the supply and demand sides of the equation,” continued Diamond.
“In order to truly improve future U.S. energy security, additional production must be accompanied by a strategic shift to alternative fuels, particularly electrification of the light-duty fleet and natural gas for heavy-duty trucks. It is my hope that this bipartisan production legislation can serve as the foundation for a long-term energy security bill that would strengthen our economic and national security,” said Diamond.
About Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)
SAFE is a nonpartisan organization that aims to reduce America’s dependence on oil and improve U.S. energy security to bolster national security and strengthen the economy. SAFE advocates for expanded domestic production of U.S. oil and gas resources, continued improvement in fuel efficiency, and in the long-term, breaking oil’s stranglehold on the transportation sector through alternatives like natural gas for heavy-duty trucks and plug-in electric vehicles. In 2006, SAFE joined with General P.X. Kelley (Ret.), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO of FedEx Corporation, to form the Energy Security Leadership Council (ESLC), a group of business and former military leaders committed to reducing U.S. oil dependence.
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