Natural Gas Exploration | The Solution Exists Today

Domestic Energy Prices Hurting Consumers, Industrial
& Institutional Energy Users

The Solution Exists Today

Natural gas exploration is one solution to this problem. There is an abundant supply of deep-sea natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) that can be retrieved in a safe and environmentally sound manner.  Yet, 85% of these supplies are off-limits to exploration. 

  • The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has enough natural gas to heat 100 million homes for 60 years, and enough oil to drive 85 million cars for 35 years. Natural gas exploration owould provide greater access to this supply would help reverse the current imbalance in supply and demand of natural gas. U.S. energy policies promote the use of natural gas, driving up demand, yet they also restrict access to domestic supplies. 
  • Decades of experience has proven that deep-sea natural gas exploration is safe, and the development of new technologies is making it even safer. Increasing our supply of natural gas from OCS resources can be accomplished with little risk to the environment.  
  • In 2005, when two catastrophic hurricanes hit the heart of the U.S. energy industry, more than 3,000 deep-sea platforms stood in their path. Despite the destruction of 115 platforms and damage to more than 50 platforms and 183 pipelines during the hurricanes, the U.S. Minerals Management Service reported that there were no significant oil spills from offshore platforms. Among minor incidents, no oil reached the coastline.
  • There are numerous proposals currently pending in the U.S. House and Senate that would foster greater access to America’s abundant energy supply through natural gas exploration.  The Consumer Alliance for Energy Security favors proposals that provide greater access to previously restricted supplies of natural gas on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). 


The Public Feels the Impact of Higher Energy Costs, Supports Accessing the OCS

The Consumer Alliance for Energy Security recently conducted a survey of 1000 likely voters nationwide on March 20-21, 2006. The margin of error for the survey is +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence interval.