Governor McDonnell Renews Call for Offshore Drilling

Governor Bob McDonnell joined 20 governors in sending a letter to President Barack Obama today detailing ways in which the regulatory agenda pursued by the Obama Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are curtailing economic growth in the states and threatens America’s long-term prosperity.

 Speaking about the President’s energy policy, Governor McDonnell commented, “Virginia’s efforts to become the energy capital of the East Coast include innovative, safe and affordable plans for investment in nuclear energy, coal, offshore exploration for oil and natural gas, and offshore wind energy development.  It will only be through a combination of these energy sources that the nation will be able to meet its energy demands and curtail its dependence upon foreign oil. Our plans to develop Virginia’s offshore oil and natural gas supplies have been thwarted by the Obama administration’s failure to include drilling 50 miles off the coast of Virginia in the five-year lease plan. Once again, rising gas prices are hurting families and small businesses due to the shortsightedness of overzealous federal regulators.”