Bid to Revive Offshore Gas Drilling Falls Short in House

A new drive to relax the long-standing ban on offshore energy exploration came up short in the House of Representatives on Thursday.

By a 217-203 vote, a bipartisan coalition of coastal-state lawmakers beat back an effort to exempt drilling for natural gas from the congressional moratorium.

But the vote -- closer than last year’s 262-157 roll call on a similar measure -- reflected the heightened political anxiety over high energy prices in this election year.

It is expected to embolden pro-drilling forces to make a more determined push in coming months to try again to relax the moratorium, which currently prohibits oil as well as natural gas drilling offshore in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans as well as in a wide swath of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

One proposal that might stand a better chance would let states opt out of the moratorium in return for a share of drilling royalties. Another would expand energy exploration in the eastern gulf.

In a statement, the American Gas Assn. said the vote signaled growing support for lifting the moratorium for natural gas exploration on the outer continental shelf. That increasing support will add “tremendous momentum to other legislative efforts to get an [outer continental shelf] bill through the House and Senate,” the statement said.

Environmentalists expressed relief, but Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope warned, “We must remain vigilant.”

Thursday’s vote came during consideration of the Interior Department’s annual spending bill, which has included a moratorium since the early 1980s. New energy exploration is prohibited except in parts of the Gulf of Mexico and areas off Alaska. A presidential order also prohibits drilling in most coastal waters until 2012.

Farm and manufacturing groups hard hit by high fuel costs joined the energy industry in pushing to relax the drilling ban. Although high gasoline prices have generated attention, natural gas prices have also soared. Winter average natural gas bills for Southern California Gas Co. residential customers were 20% to 25% higher than last winter, according to the company.

Rep. John E. Peterson (R-Pa.), who led the effort to relax the moratorium, argued that natural gas could be explored without risking an oil spill, an assertion that anti-drilling lawmakers disputed.

Peterson also warned that high fuel costs threaten to drive more U.S. companies overseas. “Folks, this is about the economy of America,” he said.

Rep. Ralph Regula (R-Ohio) added: “I don’t think it’s fair to 280 million Americans to deny them access to an asset that belongs to all of them.”

Coastal-state lawmakers, including a number of pro-business Republicans, argued that the measure could endanger their states’ tourist economies.

“I can assure you that people don’t go visit the coast of Florida or the coast of California to watch oil wells,” said Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel).

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined several other coastal-state governors, including Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, in urging their state delegations to oppose weakening the moratorium. In a letter, Schwarzenegger called the state’s coastline “an integral part of our culture, our heritage and our economy.”

Offshore drilling has been a significant issue in California since a 1969 oil platform blowout off the coast of Santa Barbara caused extensive environmental damage.

In the California delegation, Republicans Mary Bono of Palm Springs, Ken Calvert of Corona, John Campbell of Irvine, David Dreier of San Dimas, Elton Gallegly of Simi Valley and Ed Royce of Fullerton joined all the Democrats in supporting the continued moratorium. With the exception of Rep. Richard W. Pombo of Tracy, who did not vote, all other Republicans were opposed.

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Redlands), the influential chairman of the House Appropriations Committee who last year favored keeping the moratorium, was among those who changed his vote Thursday. Jim Specht, a Lewis spokesman, said his boss was moved by the increase in energy prices.

“As gas prices have continued to increase, he has become convinced that we must find new sources to fix the long-term problem of increasing supply,” Specht said.