Republicans have dismissed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s energy proposal as unfit for passage, but they may feel compelled to support it should it be the only offshore drilling measure that comes to a vote this fall.

Even though Democrats have yet to introduce the bill formally, many House Republicans disapprove because it only allows coastal states the option of drilling between 50 and 100 miles off their shores.

“The bill that Pelosi has apparently put together does not remotely reflect our bill,” said Patrick Creighton, a spokesman for Peterson. “And if they tried to do that, to take our bill and use it as a framework, they failed miserably.”

Among the major differences between what Pelosi (D-Calif.) put forward and what the bipartisan working group put together are where drilling would be allowed — with the Democratic leadership bill offering far less — as well as the industry tax and royalty payment structures. The Abercrombie-Peterson bill would allow drilling 25 miles out, but give states the right to “opt out” of drilling between 25 and 50 miles.

“I think the [Democratic] bill is offensive,” said Rep. Thelma Drake (R-Va.), an early supporter of Abercrombie-Peterson. “My absolute position on the bill is that it seems as though it’s intended to do something when in reality it does nothing ... I would think most members in the group would be disappointed with it.”

That split threatens to destroy the only bipartisan headway made in the House over energy in months, with Abercrombie supporting his leadership’s bill and Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas) – a principle architect of the working group’s bill – being handed the job of introducing the Democratic leadership bill.

The working group was scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss its strategy for the upcoming week.

But members of both parties now appear to be retreating even further toward their own base camps on energy.