GOP governors focus on oil-and-gas drilling in energy platform

Expanding domestic natural-gas and oil production tops the energy policy wish list of Republican governors that was released Wednesday. 

The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC) echoed its GOP counterparts in Congress by advocating for more fossil fuel drilling in federally controlled onshore and offshore lands.

The RGPPC also pushed for state oversight of uranium development for nuclear power and denounced the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) approach to managing emissions from coal-fired power plants. The group said renewable energy would play a role in the nation's energy mix, but argued a national clean energy standard would be “counter-productive.”

“In order to make certain that Americans have access to various energy resources and technologies, we must pursue innovation, open up markets and avoid the types of regulatory overreach that diminish our opportunity to take advantage of the diverse, reliable, affordable and domestic sources of energy that are ready and waiting to power an American renaissance,” the paper said.

The energy blueprint from the GOP governors was released a day before the party’s presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, is scheduled to detail his own energy plan in New Mexico. Romney has drawn a contrast between his energy views and those of President Obama, saying Obama’s regulatory and energy policies have shown he is no friend to the coal, gas and oil industries.

The governors’ energy concerns and goals are in line with House and Senate Republicans. They argue that exploration for, and use of, domestic natural gas and oil would be an “economic driver” while also strengthening national security by reducing dependence on foreign energy sources.

Chief among the RGPPC’s priorities are: approving the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring Canadian oil sands to Texas refineries; scrapping Obama’s five-year offshore drilling plan in favor of a more expansive one; developing more energy from Alaskan reserves; and relaxing regulations for natural-gas drilling.

“Fortunately, once again, creative American minds have conquered technological challenges that have unlocked new domestic oil reserves,” the paper said. “These reserves offer us a new opportunity for economic transformation. Rather than vilifying private businesses which must compete with foreign sovereign oil companies, Republican governors prefer to enable private investment to responsibly explore and produce domestic resources.”