A White House plan could open Georgia to offshore oil drilling, but the idea still faces many critics and obstacles. About 770 million barrels of oil could lie off the South Atlantic coast, including Georgia. State Senate Majority Leader Eric Johnson of Savannah says, tapping it is a matter of national security.
"If we were producing more inside the United States, we ought to be able to hold prices down," Johnson said.
He and most of Georgia's top leaders agree with a plan to expand offshore oil. But even if Congress moved on it, it's not clear Georgia business would fall in line.
Bill Jones III, CEO of the Sea Island Company, says "I think it's a knee-jerk reaction to the current oil prices and it's kind of an easy one to go after."
Jones supports more renewable energy and conservation. Others point to possible spills and the effects on tourism and a nacent move toward Georgia wind power. Politically, many stars would have to align for it to happen.
(Orlando Montoya reporting)
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Lawmakers ponder drilling off Ga. coast
