43
Obama touts energy policy at OSU
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
President Barack Obama took a swipe at advocates of increased oil drilling Thursday, saying the move would not lead to lower gas prices for consumers.
Granted, he said, there probably are a few spots where drilling is not taking place in the country.
“I’m not drilling in the South Lawn [of the White House],” he joked. “We’re not drilling next to the Washington Monument. We’re not drilling in Ohio Stadium. So there are some spots out there ... we are not drilling.”
During his administration, the president said, oil production has increased, with the federal government opening millions of additional acres in 20-plus states to drilling.
“We quadrupled the number of operating oil rigs to a record high,” Obama said, adding, “We’ve added enough oil and gas pipeline to circle the entire Earth, and then some. … The problem is not that we’re not drilling or that we’re not producing more oil. We are producing more oil than anytime in the last eight years. … We can’t simply drill our way out of the problem.”
Instead, Obama is touting what he called an “all-of-the-above energy strategy” as one solution to the problem, with increased support for efforts to develop its own fuel sources and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil.
“We shouldn’t have to pay more at the pump every time there’s instability in the Middle East, which is the main reason gas prices are going up right now,” he said. “We should not be held hostage to events on the other side of the world.”
Obama made the comments during a 20-minute speech before several thousands students and community members at Ohio State University.
The Columbus stop was the last in a series of appearances in four states to discuss the administration’s energy policies, including expanded domestic oil-and-gas production, increased support for renewable-energy development, a quickened review process for federal permitting of pipelines and related projects and tougher vehicle-fuel standards.
In Oklahoma earlier in the day, the president announced a streamlined process for a new pipeline to Gulf Coast oil refineries. In Ohio, he praised federally funded clean-energy research, development and training related to nuclear, solar and automotive technologies.
He did not mention coal, a mainstay industry, or fracking, an emerging means of extracting oil and gas from deep underground shale formations that’s expected to pump billions into the state economy in coming years.
“We can build the next- generation nuclear reactors that are smaller and safer and cheaper and cleaner, but we’ve also got to look at renewable energy as the key to our future,” he said. “And we’ve got to build cars and trucks that get more miles to the gallon. We’ve got to build homes and businesses that waste less energy and put consumers in control of their energy bills.”
He also toured OSU’s Center for Automotive Fuels, where engineering students and researchers are developing more fuel-efficient vehicles. It’s home to the Buckeye Bullet, the world’s fastest battery-powered car. The center receives millions of dollars in funding from the federal and state governments and automobile manufacturers.
Gas prices, which are averaging close to $4 a gallon statewide, were front and center in the president’s speech.
“That’s tough on folks,” Obama said. “I remember when I was a student. Filling up was always tough. And gas prices are putting pressure not just on students but on a lot of families all across Ohio and all across the country.”
The president said increased fuel standards implemented by his administration and biofuels development could help lower gas costs over time.
“After decades of inaction, we raised fuel- economy standards so that by the middle of next decade, our cars will average nearly 55 miles per gallon, almost double what we have today,” Obama said. “That means you’ll be able to fill up your car every two weeks instead of every week. You like that? That will save the average family about $8,000 at the pump over the life of a car, which is real money.”