Obama Promotes Energy Agenda in Las Vegas
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(Image Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS — Fending off critics who say his policies have stifled domestic energy production, President Obama today announced that his administration would open 38 million acres of oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.
At the first stop on the second day of his post-State of the Union tour, Obama defended his administration’s efforts to open new areas for oil and gas exploration before a sedate crowd gathered outside at a UPS natural gas refueling station.
”Right now, American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years — eight years. Last year we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the last 16 years. That hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but that’s important,” he said.
The White House’s decision to sell the energy leases in the Gulf comes days after the president angered Republicans by rejecting the proposal for the cross-country Keystone pipeline that would have carried tar sands oil from Canada to refineries in Texas.
The president also encouraged greater use of natural gas in transportation and announced that a new highway corridor for vehicles running on liquefied natural gas was open for business.
”We’ve got to have an all-out, all-in, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every source of American energy, a strategy that is cleaner and cheaper and full of new jobs,” he said.
Obama argued that developing natural gas could support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.
“We, it turns out, are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas,” he said.
As he did in Iowa and Arizona Wednesday, the president continued to hammer his State of the Union message and set the tone for his 2012 campaign. Today’s event, however, lacked the public enthusiasm that was on display at the president’s previous stops in the two battleground states.
The president is visiting five swing states critical to the upcoming election during his three-day tour. The White House, however, continues to say the trip is official presidential business.
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We already know his energy agenda.
“Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Coal-powered plants, you know, natural gas, you name it, whatever the plants were, whatever the industry was, they would have to retrofit their operations. That will cost money. They will pass that money on to consumers.” – Barack Obama, January 2008
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
The President says ”Right now, American oil production is the highest that it’s been in eight years — eight years. Last year we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the last 16 years. That hasn’t gotten a lot of attention, but that’s important,” Another way to interpretet the President’s statement is that “Increased oil prices combined with the shrunken economy has resulted in less oil imports despite my best efforts!”
Posted by: Common _ Sense | January 26, 2012, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
Yawn. Still pulling out one single paragraph from 4 years ago? Man, you right wingers are lame.
Under Bush oil production went DOWN every single year of his presidency. Under Obama, oil production has gone up. Green energy production has gone up. More area is being opened for oil exploration.
At least try to stick with facts. Oh yeah, and Obama thinks there are 57 states – sure thing.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
“Increased oil prices combined
Posted by: Common _ Sense | January 26, 2012, 3:59 pm 3:59 pm
Under Clinton in 1998, a barrel of oil cost $11.91. By the time Bush was done with the country, a barrel of oil cost $91.48 in 2008.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
Energy is more expensive now than in 2009 while middle class family incomes are lower.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 4:16 pm 4:16 pm
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
Yup, it’s gonna cost money, Mr. President. A lot of it. You have to admit that skyrocketing electricity rates for the poor and middle class will be a real “jolt” to our economy (and our bottom line). Har har. Thanks President Obama! We can always count on Democrats at the state utility commissions to approve our increased rates. They also provide us with a minimum guaranteed profit margin. It’s better than the American Dream. Our lobbyists love Democrats.
Posted by: Big Polluters | January 26, 2012, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Americans don’t buy barrels of oil. They buy gasoline and electricity. They’re both more expensive now than in 2009 while incomes are lower.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 4:22 pm 4:22 pm
Gas price hit $4.12 per gallon under Bush in 2008. Gas price now is $3.35 per gallon.
Gas prices got lower in late 2008/2009 because the economy crashed. Great way to lower gas prices don’t you think – have 8.5 million people lose their jobs, have people lose over half of their invested retirement savings.
There’s the Republican solution for you.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
“Gas price now is $3.35 per gallon.”
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
Gas was $1.81 around here when Obama was sworn in, so that’s an 85% jump while family incomes continue to drop. Obama promised higher energy prices and he delivered. Give him credit for it. I do.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Politico reports:
Ener1 — an Indiana lithium-ion battery-maker whose subsidiary EnerDel received a $118.5 million grant from DOE as part of the 2009 stimulus — has filed for Chapter 11 protection, the company announced Thursday.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | January 26, 2012, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
Gas was $1.81 around here when Obama was sworn in
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 4:48 pm 4:48 pm
Gas prices crashed in late 2008/2009 because the economy crashed. Great way to lower gas prices don’t you think – have 8.5 million people lose their jobs, have people lose over half of their invested retirement savings.
There’s the Republican solution for you.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:33 pm 4:33 pm
My electricity usage is very consistent month-to-month. My monthly bill is now over 40% higher compared to 2009. We’re a middle class family just trying to make it. How do these higher electricity bills help us? If I blame Bush, will that pay my bills? Will it help if I shout “Yes We Can”?
Posted by: Adrian | January 26, 2012, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 4:54 pm 4:54 pm
Constantly repeating yourself is a symptom of disorders like Asperger’s and Tourette Syndromes. It’s also a symptom of schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
Posted by: MD Mike | January 26, 2012, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Constantly repeating yourself is a symptom of disorders like Asperger’s and Tourette Syndromes. It’s also a symptom of schizophrenia, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
Posted by: MD Mike | January 26, 2012, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
I wondered why the right wingers post the same lame nonsense over and over again, same old whining, lies and half truths and nothing new day after day. Thanks for clearing that up.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Projection can also be a symptom of a cognitive disorder. In addition, internet addiction can have very destructive effects on your life. Google it.
Posted by: MD Mike | January 26, 2012, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Posted by: MD Mike | January 26, 2012, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
We all know liberalism is a mental disorder, doc. We see it on a daily basis around here.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
“Obama promised higher energy prices and he delivered. Give him credit for it. I do”
Thanks for your continued support!
Posted by: opec | January 26, 2012, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
Nope. Not seeing that here in the midwest. My February bill is higher than ever.
Posted by: Adrian | January 26, 2012, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
We all know liberalism is a mental disorder, doc. We see it on a daily basis around here.
Posted by: Libs Are Hypocrites | January 26, 2012, 5:32 pm 5:32 pm
I wish right wingers were capable of something other than juvenile insults and name calling as a form of political discussion. They apparently aren’t capable of anything more adult. It’s an embarrassment – juvenile.
Posted by: Jill | January 26, 2012, 5:37 pm 5:37 pm
Posted by: Adrian | January 26, 2012, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
John doesn’t pay “his” electricity bills. Taxpayers do (Obama’s Stash). That’s why “he” doesn’t care.
Posted by: Dane | January 26, 2012, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Posted by: Adrian | January 26, 2012, 5:04 pm 5:04 pm
Good news for you Adrian!
Electricity Cost Declines 50% as Shale Spurs Natural Gas Glut: Energy
By Julie Johnsson and Mark Chediak – Jan 17, 2012 2:26 PM MT
A shale-driven glut of natural gas has cut electricity prices for the U.S. power industry by 50 percent and reduced investment in costlier sources of energy.
Mirroring the gas market, wholesale electricity prices have dropped more than 50 percent on average since 2008, and about 10 percent during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to a Jan. 11 research report by Aneesh Prabhu, a New York-based credit analyst with Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC. Prices in the west hub of PJM Interconnection LLC, the largest wholesale market in the U.S., declined to about $39 per megawatt hour by December 2011 from $87 in the first quarter of 2008.
Posted by: John | January 26, 2012, 5:31 pm 5:31 pm
It’s not like a right winger to be poorly informed, or lie. LOL!
Posted by: Jen | January 26, 2012, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Now that all the rigs have moved over seas and we may have produced more but we also bought more. Funny how the news media leaves out important info.
Posted by: Freedom | January 26, 2012, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
Now that all the rigs have moved over seas and we may have produced more but we also bought more. Funny how the news media leaves out important info.
Posted by: Freedom | January 26, 2012, 5:49 pm 5:49 pm
1) “all” the rigs have moved overseas? really?
2) “all” the rigs have moved but production is still higher in the U.S.? really?
3) we bought more? more than when?
Posted by: Hogwash | January 26, 2012, 6:08 pm 6:08 pm
Posted by: Jen | January 26, 2012, 5:40 pm 5:40 pm
Yeah, right. The electric bills we’re receiving with higher charges are a complete illusion. You know, like Hope and Change.
Posted by: Susan | January 27, 2012, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
Jen that’s excellent news about lowered wholesale electricity rates. Looking forward to a corresponding retail reduction. Didn’t know about this, so thanks for the information.
Posted by: Bob | January 28, 2012, 10:50 pm 10:50 pm