The Federal moratorium prohibits any drilling nearer Florida coast. Secretary Daley has the power to override Florida if he finds Chevron's development is consistent with the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, or if he finds that Chevron's drilling plans necessarily lessen the Nation's reliance on foreign energy supplies. Florida contends that these drilling operations pose a threat to polluting fish habitat, plants and animals, marine mammals, birds and beaches. This being an election year it takes little imagination to guess what the Secretary's decision will be. Though the drilling would take place off Florida, the gas would be piped to Mobile and the support activities would be based in Alabama.
Natural gas is said to be one of the principal solutions to Americas air pollution problem.
Virtually all of the new electricity generation in this country comes from combined cycle natural gas turbine. The Department of Energy projects that consumption of natural gas in this country will increase from about 21 T.C.F. To 30 T.C.F. By 2010. I submit that Florida's fear of this drilling is based upon imaginary non-existent dangers. But the need to have access to these supplies of natural gas in order to deal with Americas air pollution problem is not an imaginary challenge. Royalty Relief Mr. Chairman, the Deep Water Royalty Relief bill passed before this Committee and Congress in 1995, was one of the most successful bills ever passed for developing domestic energy resources.