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Debate Night: President Defends Energy Record Weeks After Interior Bans Drilling on 11.5M Acres of ‘Petroleum Reserve’

Oct. 17, 2012 12:15am Becket Adams

President Barack Obama during Tuesday’s presidential debate claimed that his administration has taken an even-handed approach to both tradition fuel sources (i.e. coal and oil) and “green” energy.

While many Blaze readers are familiar with the president’s most recent, uh, “successes” in clean energy, how many know about his administration’s most recent drilling ban?

In case you missed it, the U.S. Department of the Interior in August made the decision to close off from drilling “nearly half of the 23.5 million acre National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which would seem to fly in the face of the president’s oft-repeated claim that his administration is fostering some sort of oil boom.

“The area is called the National Petroleum Reserve because in 1976 Congress designated it as a strategic oil and natural gas stockpile to meet the ‘energy needs of the nation,’” the report adds.

“Alaska favors exploration in nearly the entire reserve. The feds had been reviewing four potential development plans, and the state of Alaska had strongly objected to the most restrictive of the four. Sure enough, that was the plan Interior chose,” the report adds.

According to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, the plan will:

… help the industry bring energy safely to market from this remote location, while also protecting wildlife and subsistence rights of Alaska Natives.” He added that the proposal will expand “safe and responsible oil and gas development, and builds on our efforts to help companies develop the infrastructure that’s needed to bring supplies online.

However, despite Mr. Salazar’s most sincere assurances, very few in the energy industry (or Alaska for that matter) agree with him.

“In an August 22 letter to Mr. Salazar, the entire Alaska delegation in Congress — Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski and Representative Don Young — call it ‘the largest wholesale land withdrawal and blocking of access to an energy resource by the federal government in decades,’” the Journal reports.

Yes, even Sen. Murkowski is against the drilling ban.

Interior’s decision, the letter adds, “will cause serious harm to the economy and energy security of the United States, as well as to the state of Alaska.”

And there’s more for Alaskans to be concerned about. According to the Journal: “The letter also says the ruling ‘will significantly limit options for a pipeline’ through the reserve. This pipeline has long been sought to transport oil and gas from the Chukchi Sea, the North Slope and future Arctic drilling.”

Again, Salazar offers assurances, namely, that a pipeline could still be built, but, you know, that whole Keystone XL pipeline thing has left Alaskans doubtful.

Lastly, Alaskans are afraid the National Petroleum Reserve will be turned into yet another political football:

The greens now want Congress to rename the energy reserve the “Western Arctic Reserve” to give the false impression that it is a fragile wildlife area. Some parts of the area are environmentally sensitive, but those 1.5 million acres (around Teshekpuk Lake) had already been set aside. Most of the other 11.5 million acres are almost indistinguishable from acreage owned by the state that is being drilled safely nearby.

But let’s pretend for a second that the administration isn’t trying to prevent drilling. How much oil are we looking at here?

“Some early federal estimates put the range between six and 15 billion barrels of oil, but in its latest survey the Bureau of Land Management projects closer to one billion,” the Journal report.
“State officials and industry experts put the figure much higher based on the earlier surveys and improved drilling techniques,” the report adds.

Granted, no one knows for sure how much oil is actually there, but that’s what private investors and drillers are for. That’s what they invest their own money in.

“The oil and gas industry isn’t in the business of drilling dry holes on purpose,” the report adds.

So, yes, while yet another federally-funded “green” energy investment has filed for bankruptcy, the Obama administration has just imposed a million-plus acre drilling ban on Alaska.

Just keep all this in mind the next time you hear certain people talking about “all of the above energy” policies.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Front page photo courtesy the AP.

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Comments (46)

ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on October 22, 2012 at 10:27pm
Same old lies out of the TRAITOR Obozo in the Third and final Debate tonight. All he can say is how much he has done for this and for that and for them and for us. Actions speak louder than words Bozo. Records speak louder than words. I don’t care who they say will “win” this Debate tonight. It doesn’t matter. In the end, it will come down to the uneducated and the Diehard Democrats voting for the TRAITOR and the educated and the common sense Americans voting for Romney or another.
God help US if this TRAITOR gets another 4. We will all be doomed.

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castaways
Posted on October 18, 2012 at 7:00pm
I live in Alaska, this is not a new story…We have been dealing with the Obama issues for a long time. It is true; Salazar wants to shut down the NPR-A. Japan came to us and wants to buy our natural gas as they do not want to go back on Nuc.power. When the admin. got wind of all of this, Salazar was up here checking into everything. We are sick and tired of Washington and the evironmental wacko’s telling us what to do…We pay higher energy prices than anyone else in the lower 48. Our gas is up to $4.33 a gallon. They have shut down much of our coal and we cannot implement hydro power because of the impact on Salmon, so they say. Most people have never seen or been to the “slope” or the NPR, not accessible by any means but aircraft and ice road in the winter. We have enough resources to make America energy independant, not to mention the thousands of jobs it will create if we get things up and running to full capacity. I know some of you will just go to the blame game on Big Oil, but you forget that many of the jobs that can be created would be manufacturing, support services, etc most outside of Alaska, that means you the lower 48. right down to the drive thru coffee shops!

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Mr_D
Posted on October 18, 2012 at 9:35am
Obama’s green energy “investments” were about $90 billion. This same $90 Billion “investment” to improve technology to clean up “dirty” coal and improve fracking technology would have been a better investment for America.

This technology would have assured that coal, oil and natural gas could be continued to be used for electricity, saving EVERY consumer money each month. This $90 billion “investment” would also have employed more blue collar workers in the mining and manufacturing arenas. Unfortunately, the $90 Billion in green energy “investments” was mostly wasted on the solar, wind, electric cars, and batteries that MUST BE TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED to retain their power capacity. .

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southofthesaltline
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 11:14pm
In the debate the President said that his administration took away leases from oil companies under a “use it or loose it” rationale. Two points: The leased land or sea floor has been removed from oil company inventory. To go back into oil company inventory and, therefore, be available for drilling, the land or sea floor has to be leased out again. Has this administration offered leases on this “recovered” land or sea floor? If not, then the administration has effectively removed it from exploration or production. Second, as I understand it a lease is a contract. Further, I understand that oil companies pay the federal government for the leases. Unless the lease contract has a “use it or loose it” termination clause, the President has ordered his administration to breach and void, without legal justification, a legal contract between the United States of America and the lease holders. If this is the case, who in their right mind would ever want to do business with this country or have any faith in any thing this country promises?

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zoro51
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:20pm
the SOCIALIST lied yet again. he HATES AMERICNA OIL HE HATES AMERICAN COAL HE HATES AMRICAN FREEDOMS yet he INDULDGES IN THEM his a FLAKE A FAKE N A DECIEVER.. IMPEACH OBAMA NOW

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Zipit
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 7:40am
After all the smoke from Obama’s rear end has cleared, the fact remains. Obama, energy secretary Steven Chu, and that little pinhead in the cowboy hat Ken Salazar, have done virtually everything they can to hamstring both the exploration and production of oil in our country. Destroying the oil industry, and keeping gas at the pump unaffordably high, is the only way the can sell green energy.

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- SocialistSlayer
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 8:47am
  And even then ……. It’s not working. These people are complete idiots!
  
  Report this comment
- turkey13
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 9:56am
  Why didn’t Romney ask Obama how that part of that statement about Green energy and Coal was working out? Romney should also have researched the mining industary and how the BLA has stopped mining permits or made companys go trough the court system taking up to 5 years to finally open up a silver, gold or copper mine. In Canada there is a diamond mine that goes right up to our border and stops. The company bought the royalities from owners in the US 3 years ago and are working through the court system. On the Canada side there is over 800 folks working and paying taxes and spending money, boosting the local economy.
  
  Report this comment
Gypsy123
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 6:26am
I am not voting for the man who is going to solve our economic crisis because it is not going away Obama has seen to that. I am voting for the man who tells the least lies. And that is not hard to figure out.

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- bobdiamond
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 6:47am
  Obama got caught up in his own lies several times during the debate. Read political commentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
Grace1798
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 5:11am
AGAIN, OBamer DEFENDSS ALL HIS LIES…..but NO PLAN …keep that in mind. NO PLANS FOR RESTORATION OF AMERICA. But many, many plans for his TERRORISTS buddies. He has NEVER ONCE done anything to stop Iran. NOT EVER. Think about it. But he has been very busy destroying jobs in America, removing businesses forever who could have hired employees, helping more people depend on the government (which he defends) and removing oil drilling from America forever. He keeps defending all this. Where is it headed? Is it for our good? Look at how much good he’s done for our enemies? A ton of good! But nothing good for USA. IF you vote this Socialist/Marxist back in, you (no matter what color you are) will be cast out onto the street and under the bus while his Socialist/Marxist elitists and the enemies of our country will TAKE OVER. Bend over and kiss yo azz goodbye folks.

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BSimmons451
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 2:35am
Here are 95 examples of Barack Obama’s lying, lawbreaking, corruption, and cronyism http://tinyurl.com/95examples

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redbone007
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:38am
Tell me what everyone think? One of Obama’s comment during the debate:

“OBAMA: Well, think about what the governor — think about what the governor just said. He said when I took office, the price of gasoline was $1.80, $1.86. Why is that? Because the economy was on the verge of collapse, because we were about to go through the worst recession since the Great Depression, as a consequence of some of the same policies that Governor Romney’s now promoting.

So, it’s conceivable that Governor Romney could bring down gas prices because with his policies, we might be back in that same mess.”

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- 1st a Father
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 3:00am
  To Bonehead,
  
  Wow, do you not have a handle on how a healthy economy works. I guess it’s been so long since we had one, you’ve forgotten.
  
  Report this comment
- graceunderfire
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 9:24am
  According to Obama’s way of thinking in a great economy not bound for collapse…gas is $8 a gallon?
  I don’t understand!
  
  Report this comment
Patriot760
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:34am
Obumber has said, even before he got elected, ‘under my plan, energy costs will necessarily skyrocket’. Well they have. I hope Romney will quote him on this during the next debate.

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Patriot760
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:31am
Add your comments

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Pigpen
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:20am
Now, now, let us be fair to Barack Hussein Obama. After all, President Hussein DID pump more BARRELS OF OIL out of the Gulf Coast than any other US President…

Oh, wait, no, President Hussein’s record is pumping more barrels of OIL INTO THE GULF of MEXICO than any other US President!

Thanks BP! But the REAL CREDIT goes to the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate as the genius that escalated TWO WARS and pumped crude oil DIRECTLY into the ecosystem at a break neck rate! Man, even by their OWN COMMIE PINKO STANDARDS their President Hussein SUCKS!

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freedomisasfreedomdoes
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:00am
Can the president answer a question?

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neverending
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:45am
I absolutely cannot remember who it is that refers barry boy to “manchild” but that describes this wimpy little liar. Seeing him next to Romney just brings that out even more. When the wimp didn’t want to admit the truth the bastard merely didn’t answer the question,. Never could stand lardarse crowley and can’t stand her even more now.

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- MonkeyBeagle
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:52am
  Yes, but if Romney wins… Im going to start a riot.. thats what Obama supporters are saying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QesiLzDlW50
  
  Report this comment
- 101stIraqVet
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:24am
  A “riot”, as in, burn down and loot our own neighborhoods?
  
  Fine by me.
  
  Report this comment
- neverending
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:36am
  Hey monkeybeagle – whatever goes along with the bastard moving back to Kenya is fine with many of us.
  
  Report this comment
- Anonymous T. Irrelevant
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 2:03am
  Chalk up another lie for the man-child. Romney had him pinned down on rescinding oil leases on Federal land, and said private land was what was producing the oil in the USA. The boy-king lied again. This next, and last debate, Romney now knows what Obama’s weak points and hot-buttons are and he is going to exploit them. I sincerely hope that Romney can trap Obama in a couple of lies, at the least. Expose this buffoon for what he really is, an empty, lying, suit of trash.
  
  Report this comment
voting-for-romney
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:44am
Missing from the conversation was the handling of BP oil, or the fact that drilling in the oceans is not as dangerous as people claim it to be? How much “investment” is discouraged or encouraged in our young people to seek out those energy sources in the future after these “rich guys” with political connections make their mark on the media?

If you want to start the conversation, lets really talk about it?

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- CatB
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 4:54am
  Yes .. I live by the Gulf of Mexico and Obama refused help and let it go on and on before he finally decided the “crisis wasn’t going to go to waste” …. he is responsible for a lot of the mess that was had .. because he didn’t act!
  
  Report this comment
- TEIN
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 11:57am
  BP..smoke screen…every country that has the means is drilling in the the Gulf Of Mexico…Just because the USA doesn’t drill, does not mean other countries have stopped and since they haven’t stopped the “dire” environmental issue, that is being used for the reason to deny USA from drilling, still exist. If another countries oil rig leaks, the oil will head to the USA coasts just the same.
  
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voting-for-romney
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:40am
Mitt Romney’s highlight of the debate, is where he distanced himself from the Bush administration, pointing out the opportunities that he has ahead of him, that George Bush did not have, and he knows how to take advantage of them?

We have real alternative energy bubbling up, it is a only a short couple of decades away, and it will not be produced in colleges, but in the practical application of private investors who will hammer out the economics and practicality of it all (we have the technology, what we don’t have is the economic model to scale it out)?

Despite the best efforts of President Obama, he refuses to explain how any delay to energy independence is acceptable when we have the rise of violence in the middle east, largely due to “rich guys” with political connections giving nations proven not to be trusted military arms they don’t need?

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- Verceofreason
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:46am
  We get most of our oil from Canada and South America and our own of course.
  
  Report this comment
- Puddle Duck
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:17am
  While a sizable chunk of the pie comes from Mex,Ven and Can the largest percentage of imported oil still comes from OPEC nations….Can’t you get anything right ?
  
  Report this comment
NWFLConservative
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:33am
Mitt pressed the zero to answer his question on how many leases he cut and he would never answer it. If I were the zero, I would’ve dodged them too. Federal permits were reduced by 33% and private permits were reduced by 63%. He is such a pathological liar that he can lie through his teeth effortelessly.

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- Puddle Duck
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:31am
  I wish Mitt would just quote the numbers directly rather than try to get a straight answer from Zero (which is next to impossible anyway).
  
  Report this comment
environmentalandawake
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:33am
So why is Romney not getting these factoids before the debate? It should also be noted that George W. set sail the programs that started to lessen our depenancy on foreign stocks. In 2006 he increased the Dept. of Energy’s budget by 20% for green energy projects. His father instituted Cap and Trade. Why are the Republicans being demonized on this? They WORK with INDUSTRY to solve problems. More to the point, they DO something, and not always SAY something..

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kalli
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:30am
Another big reason this fraudulent administration has to go before it completely kills America from being self-sufficient.

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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:26am
I was screaming during that segment, Romney should have simply said “Mr President, to quote you “Under my policies, energy prices will necessarily skyrocket, if you want to build a coal plant, you can, but my policies will bankrupt you”, now that is what you said in 2008, in the last 4 years prices have skyrocketed, so you have kept your promis, and the coal industry is going bankrupt.” Bring up the fact his energy secretary Chu wants gas prices to $10 a gallon, and we are half way there. He shut down off shore driling in the Gulf, but gave Brazil 2 billion to drill in the gulf, and said we would be their best customer. And that is what I came up just in that segment. But what do I know, I am just a dumb country boy in a flyover state.

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- kalli
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:33am
  Romney did miss the boat on all these points!
  
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- cowgirl
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:37am
  I was yelling at him to do just that!!!!
  
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- girlnurse
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:44pm
  “He shut down off shore driling in the Gulf, but gave Brazil 2 billion to drill in the gulf, and said we would be their best customer”.
  
  I was yelling at my tv over this too! You think Romney is dumb? Nahhh So why in the heck wouldn’t he call Obama on this point??! It’s kind of a big one!
  
  Report this comment
banjarmon
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:25am
Drill Baby DRILL!!!!!

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- Verceofreason
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:44am
  And that’s what the President has said
  to oil companies SITTING ON THOUSANDS OF ACRES of land for decades
  without drilling.
  As Obama forcefully made clear tonight, those oil companies were finally told
  USE IT, OR LOSE IT.
  
  And why, you may ask, haven’t the oil companies been drilling on those approved sites?
  
  To get permission to destroy our protected National Parks by manufacturing phony shortages.
  It’s the American Energy Industies way.
  
  Report this comment
- Puddle Duck
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 1:38am
  Wow….apparently Idiocy is a post graduate prerequisite when joining the ranks of the liberal leftists……Treason I don’t know where you get these ridiculous ideas (about domestic energy policy) but I have a feeling it’s from the Sesame Street catalog …….
  
  Report this comment
- Apple Bite
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 8:14am
  Problem, Verce
  
  You can’t drill where there is no potential whatsoever. Try that crap on another site. We have plenty of known areas where there are heaps of oil available. Meanwhile, your ilk bans Oil companies from drilling there to save a damn spider nobody knew existed. Your green weenies of the left, have no clue what’s coming for them.
  
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Stoic one
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:25am
I have one thing to say about “o”

…………………………LIAR!

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crusaderx9
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:22am
There is only ONE ISSUE – CANDY CROWLEY LIED!

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- neverending
  Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:42am
  She sure did – it is so amazing to me to see these stupid people just can’t help themselves and take barry’s side – was waiting for her to kiss his shoes!
  
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RevRiles
Posted on October 17, 2012 at 12:22am
I had a boss like this once. He would make promises to get his workers to perform. (and then he would lie and said he never made those promises after the job was done.)

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