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TOPICS & COMMENTS
RESOURCES
To see all the topics and their questions and answers in a report format click here for a high resolution version and here for a low resolution version.
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Background Statement
During the 2009 legislative session the Florida House passed HB 1219 ̶ Regulation of State Lands and Oil and Gas Resources. HB 1219 would have removed existing prohibitions against granting leases on state-owned submerged lands (i.e., state waters) and against granting permits to explore for and develop oil or gas resources in state waters.
By doing so, HB 1219 would have given the Governor and Cabinet, acting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, authority over private uses of state-owned submerged lands. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection would have the power to issue permits for drilling, exploring and producing oil, gas and other petroleum products. The Florida Senate did not consider HB 1219 in 2009, so the bill did not become law. A similar bill introduced in the 2010 legislative session was being debated as this report was completed.
In the wake of this proposed legislation, an intense public debate has ensued regarding the potential risks and rewards of offshore drilling in Florida’s state waters. The questions, concerns, and arguments that have been expressed echo those associated with a longstanding political battle over offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico where federal moratoriums remain in place. As the intensity of these debates escalated, the Century Commission for a Sustainable Florida began considering its role in contributing to a constructive discussion on the issue. In November 2009, Senate President Jeff Atwater called upon the Century Commission – along with Florida State University’s Institute for Energy Systems and Economic Sustainability (IESES) and the Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research – to assist the Senate with a detailed and comprehensive review of the implications of offshore drilling.
In responding to the charge from Mr. Atwater, the Collins Center for Public Policy, which staffs the Century Commission, developed this report for the citizens of Florida. Research was conducted by Collins Center staff with the assistance of an expert advisory group. A companion website with additional information resources and associated links is available at http://offshore.centurycommission.org. This project may be considered a parallel initiative to the IESES Florida offshore energy symposia. Relevant presentations and reports collected by IESES are cross-referenced where appropriate. The report is structured around four topics:
· Regulatory Framework
· Resources, Economic Benefits, and Energy Independence
· Environmental Risks, Permitting and Accident Response
· Aesthetics and Opportunity Costs
Each topic includes one or more questions and/or subtopics. With a major focus on existing prohibitions on offshore drilling in state submerged lands, it was often found that the most salient questions and answers could not be adequately addressed without reference to issues and data that pertain to federal waters in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The answers rely upon the data and claims made through official government sources and peer-reviewed publications. Reports and assessments commissioned by stakeholder advocacy groups were also evaluated and considered when they offered relevant data or analysis otherwise unavailable. In doing so, attempts were made to qualify which estimates and/or claims were found reasonable and why.
The intent is not to provide definitive conclusions or recommendations but rather to constructively highlight what is known about the potential risks and rewards of offshore drilling, what is unknown or uncertain, and what assumptions, claims and/or conclusions are reasonable. Understandably, some questions for which precise answers were desired remained elusive because of uncertainties or lack of information. In response, there is limited speculation. Ultimately, judgment calls were made with respect to what was reasonable and fair to say and the Collins Center remains accountable for the content. Your comments and feedback are welcomed.
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