Senate defeats attempt to relax offshore drilling ban

A bid to relax the long-standing moratorium on new offshore oil drilling died Thursday in the Senate as an energy bill became bogged down by fights that underscored the regional nature of energy politics.

Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.) failed in his attempt to open the door to natural gas exploration off the Virginia coast.

Five of Warner’s fellow Republicans, all from coastal states, joined 37 Democrats and two independents in opposing the effort.

Opponents warned that the move could have a “domino effect” that could unravel the drilling ban inspired by a devastating 1969 oil spill off Santa Barbara.

The drilling fight came as Southern senators held up a vote on a proposal to require utilities to generate 15% of their electricity from cleaner energy sources, such as the sun and wind, by 2020.

The Southern senators said the requirement could increase utility bills in states that are not blessed with bright sunshine or strong wind.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers from vehicle-producing states objected to another provision that would boost mileage standards.

There also were the usual scrapes along party lines.

Republicans stepped up their attacks on the first major energy bill to come before Congress since the Democratic takeover in January, saying that it failed to include any measures to promote domestic production of oil and natural gas.

Saying that the bill’s provisions -- such as tougher miles-per-gallon rules -- would provide no immediate relief from high gasoline prices, Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-Idaho) said, “I can’t go home and say to a fellow I met at the gas pump the other day, that filled up his truck and paid 130 bucks, ‘Oh, don’t worry about today. In the next 10 or 15 years we’ll get to your need.’ ”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said that the Republican response was “drill, drill, drill -- more of the same.”

Warner, in seeking to relax the drilling moratorium, noted that officials in his state have expressed interest in natural gas exploration at least 50 miles offshore.

“Our citizens are laboring under higher prices,” he said, “and we must look at the full potential of America to help resolve this situation.”

Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat, supported his fellow Virginian’s effort, saying it was a preliminary step.

“It’s no longer responsible to talk about energy independence while saying no to even the most preliminary steps toward exploration and development of our domestic energy sources,” he said.

But Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) called drilling off the Virginia coast a threat to the shores of New Jersey and other states.

“This is not about Virginia alone,” he said. “This is about the entire federal Outer Continental Shelf.”

Warner lost, 43-44.

California Sen. Barbara Boxer voted against the measure. Her colleague and fellow Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, did not vote.

richard.simon@latimes.com