As we move closer to the 2012 presidential election, the candidates will face increasing scrutiny over their energy policies. It is wise to make energy policy a focal point of this election because sustainable, affordable and consistent domestic energy is the key to our economic future as well as our national security.
President Barack Obama has repeatedly talked about the need to deploy American assets and innovation to develop more domestic energy, but his track record doesn’t necessarily reflect that vision. The Interior Department is averaging only three new drilling permits per month in the Gulf in the past two years, down from seven per month before the Deepwater Horizon spill. The time has come to speed up the issuance of those permits. Domestic oil production might be up as the president has noted, but that won’t last long if companies in the Gulf can’t drill new wells.
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