Obama Versus McCain on Offshore Drilling & ANWR

photo: Tim Thomson

As the House of Representatives just approved a new energy package which contains provisions to allow some offshore oil drilling, it may seem to be a moot point to go into a discussion of where John McCain and Barack Obama stand on the issue, but as there are still legislative hurdles to be cleared before any law is actually passed on the matter, it’s worthwhile to go over their positions. So here there are, Obama and McCain on oil drilling, both offshore and in ANWR:

Again, many TreeHugger readers have probably already formed opinions about which of these candidates they back. (Or a third-party candidate, but since realistically it will be one these two men who is the next US president I’m consciously confining the discussion to Obama and McCain; please don’t take this as advocating that two political parties is the best way to run a country.) For those people who haven’t yet made up their minds, I hope this proves useful.  

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photo: McCain-Palin 2008   

John McCain on Offshore Oil Drilling & ANWR

As the screams of “drill, baby, drill” during John McCain’s nomination acceptance speech were met with grins from the man of the moment there’s little mistaking where he stands on the issue. One look as the McCain-Palin campaign literature confirms that expanding domestic oil and natural gas production will head up his energy policy, at least in the short-term. This is increasingly presented as the best route towards energy independence in the United States.On Domestic Oil Drilling

The current federal moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf stands in the way of energy exploration and production. John McCain believes it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use. There is no easier or more direct way to prove to the world that we will no longer be subject to the whims of others than to expand our production capabilities. We have trillions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the U.S. at a time we are exporting hundreds of billions of dollars a year overseas to buy energy. (McCain-Palin 2008)

 

In a Republican primary debate at the end of 2007, McCain even went so far as to say that the United States could be oil independent within the next decade: 

We have got to achieve energy independence, oil independence in this nation. I will make it a Manhattan Project, and we will in five years become oil independent.

 

Viewed in a conciliatory light this would be an overly optimistic position to take. According to the a Pentagon report published in 2004, the earliest the US could realistically be free from imported oil would be 2040. (On the Issues)

Offshore Drilling Viewed More Favorably Than Before
It’s useful to note that McCain’s position on offshore oil drilling underwent a sea change between May and June of this year.

On May 29th he said of offshore oil drilling, “… I also have to tell you that with those resources, which would take years to develop, it would only postpone or temporarily relieve our dependency on fossil fuels.”

However, by June 16th he had moved to this position, “Providing additional incentives for states to permit exploration off their coasts would be very helpful in the short term in resolving our energy crisis.”

ANWR: McCain & Palin Differ
Though John McCain has expressed opposition to opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, Sarah Palin has on numerous occasions expressed vociferous support for oil drilling in ANWR:

Pres. Bush is right. Across the nation, communities are feeling the pinch of high energy costs. It is absurd that we are borrowing from one foreign country to buy oil from another. It is a threat to our national security and economic well-being. It is well past time for America to develop our own supplies. (Alaska Governor’s Office press release, April 29, 2008)

 

It remains to be seen whether Palin will be able to influence McCain’s position or whether her’s will have to be subdued.

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photo: David Katz/Obama for America  

Barack Obama on Offshore Oil Drilling & ANWR

The official Obama-Biden position on domestic oil drilling is terse in comparison to the McCain position. Obama states clearly that he believes that there is no way the United States can drill its way towards energy independence, but he does add that,

U.S. oil and gas production plays an important role in our domestic economy and remains critical to prevent global energy prices from climbing even higher. There are several key opportunities to support increased U.S. production of oil and gas that do not require opening up currently protected areas. (New Energy for America)

Offshore Drilling Will Not Lower Oil Prices Today…Or Five Years From Now
At a speech in Jacksonville, Florida on June 20th of this year, Obama stated his position a bit more definitively. 

What wouldn’t do a thing to lower gas prices is [...] to open up Florida’s coastline to offshore drilling [...] It would have long term consequences for our coastlines but no short term benefits since it would take at least 10 years to get any oil. [...] Offshore oil drilling would not lower gas prices today. It would not lower gas prices tomorrow. It would not lower gas prices next year. It would not lower gas prices five years from now. In fact, President Bush’s own energy department says that we won’t see a drop of oil…until 2017. And, in fact, you won’t see any full production from any oil drilling off the coasts until 2030. It will take a generation to reach full production and even then the effect on gas prices will be minimal at best.

 

Compromise Would Be Considered
However, he went on to say that if offshore oil drilling could be shown to have a beneficial effect on reducing oil prices in the short term, he would not be opposed to it. And in future statements he expressed that he is willing to compromise on offshore drilling if it is part of a larger package which supports renewable energy,

If we have a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set, and there are some things in there that I don’t like … I would consider it because that’s the nature of how we govern in a democracy. 

I remain skeptical of some of the drilling provisions [in the so-called “Gang of Ten” bill], but I will give them [the bill's drafters] credit that the way they crafted the drilling provisions are about as careful and responsible as you might expect for a drilling agenda.

 

At the time this opened up Obama to accusations of doing pretty much the same thing that McCain did in changing his position on offshore drilling (and I’m sure there people who currently believe this).

ANWR is Out
In stark contrast to the Palin position on ANWR is Obama’s. It may be brief but here it is:

I strongly reject drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge because it would irreversibly damage a protected national wildlife refuge without creating sufficient oil supplies to meaningfully affect the global market price or have a discernible impact on U.S. energy security. (ANWR)

 

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ANWR photo: Madhav Pai  

Oil Drilling Head to Head

Both myself and a number of other TreeHugger writers have taken on the issue of offshore oil drilling a number of times, and at the level of utility alone (leaving aside environmental concerns about pollution or otherwise disturbing ecosystems, which are genuine concerns) Obama’s position is solidly borne out. He correctly states the best estimates for how long it would take to bring new offshore oil online and correctly quotes the assessments as to what sort of impact on prices it will have.Take It From the Feds
The US Geological Survey estimates that there are 17.8 billion of barrels offshore in areas under moratorium; the EIA says this wouldn’t have an impact on prices until 2030; and then the “impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant” (same EIA citation).

Perhaps a Chart is Better
In terms of what percentage of oil is actually in protected areas offshore compared to how much oil the United States uses, I’ll simply repost the chart that TreeHugger posted a few days ago:

image: Architecture 2030

Offshore Oil Drilling a Distraction From More Important Issues
As I said in commenting on John McCain’s acceptance speech two weeks ago, this constant focus on opening up new areas in the United States to oil drilling is simply a distraction from the greater issues of reducing fossil fuel consumption, developing clean energy sources, and moving the economy away from polluting and increasingly scarce energy sources.

While the psychological effect of opening up new areas to drilling may reduce prices slightly, they could just as easily be increased based on fears of another hurricane smashing into Louisiana and Texas, of Hugo Chavez cutting off oil supplies to the US, or an RPG attack on a tanker in the Persian Gulf.

The prime beneficiaries of any offshore oil drilling will ultimately be the companies doing the drilling, not the citizens of the United States.

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Want to know where McCain and Obama stand on renewable energy? Check out My Bottom Line is Green: McCain v. Obama on Renewable Energy. 

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2008 US Presidential Elections
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John McCain’s Bear Problem
“Drill Baby Drill” Screams Punctuate McCain’s Energy Policy in Acceptance Speech
Economic Advantages of Green Energy Take Precedence Over Environmental Benefits in Obama Acceptance Speech
What Green Words Are Obama and McCain Really Saying? Ask SpeechWars
Offshore Oil Drilling Will Still Not Lower Gasoline Prices: Barack Obama and Legislative Compromise  

Source:

“Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel: McCain v. Obama on Offshore Oil Drilling & ANWR“, treehugger.com, Politics & Business, Matthew McDermott, 19th Sept 2008