Red Cavaney, president and chief executive of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group representing about 500 small and multinational companies, said national energy policy will not be set by the administration alone. Congress will approve many proposals, and many will be implemented by states and localities. In fact, Bush's plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling is in great danger of being defeated in the Senate in part because several Republicans are opposed. By contrast, the Clinton administration sought to prevent exploration on large portions of federal land for environmental reasons. They have been in their shoes so they can sympathize with the industry.
Independents do the vast majority of domestic drilling.
Among the tax credits and other incentives in the Senate Republicans' bill are several aimed at reducing the cost of exploration. Earlier this month, Jordan's group and some other oil and gas trade associations met with Andrew Lundquist, the top staff member on the White House energy task force. Becker, of the Sierra Club, said he's unaware of Lundquist's meeting with any environmental groups yet. Juleanna Glover Weiss, a spokeswoman for Cheney, said the task force will seek input from environmental groups, but could not say whether Lundquist would hold similar meetings with them. Wexler of Common Cause said it's important for the administration to take a broad range of interests into account.