Will Obama Approve Off-Shore Oil Drilling?

Off-shore oil drilling

Obama campaigned on “Change we can Believe in,” yet recent news reports indicate that he is considering allowing off-shore oil drilling as part of his energy policies.  Is this just more of the same, or is it truly something different?

Let’s take a closer look.

President Obama is primarily focused on renewable energy.  He campaigned on the promise of millions of green jobs.  One of the places that holds a lot of promise in this regard is the East Coast.  Winds blow across shorelines at a rate that can provide some of the nation’s greatest potential for wind energy.  But, at the same time, just off-shore may lie some equally promising oil and gas reserves on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Before you think that Obama is entirely reversing course, consider that the Interior Secretary has adopted a policy to delay a drilling plan that was adopted by G.W. Bush before he left office.  Congress will be holding hearings on the viability of off-shore drilling.

But before we get to the details, here is a video of Obama last year when gas prices were peaking:

Will Obama support off-shore drilling?

A few of the sticky points about off-shore drilling are that: (1) it will not reduce gas prices in the near future; and (2) the public highly supports the concept and believes in its viability. Many pundits believe that the ban on off-shore drilling is gone forever.  We have to weigh the demand against the reality of drilling for more domestic oil.

So here are the ideas that are being juggled…. energy independence, global warming, cheap energy, reducing our carbon footprint, and more!

Even if we go forward with off-shore oil drilling, America will also be moving foward with renewable off-shore energy resources, including wind, tidal currents and waves.  On the East Coast, the prime locations for green energy are between Delaware and North Carolina.  But farther north, near Massachusettes, off-shore wind farms are becoming a reality with Cape Wind leading the way.

Its a delicate balance.   We need to assure the public that we’re doing all we can to keep gas prices low (especially as they start to creep up again), but we cannot put all our eggs in the non-renewable basket.  In 10-20 years, we need to be building a future that is based primarily on renewable energy.  Not only for our country’s sake, but for that of the world.  So, Obama will likely work to keep the oil flowing domestically, while continuing to press for wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy sources.

We’re interested in your thoughts on off-shore drilling.  Please share in the comments below.