Thread: California deficit led to revival of offshore oil plan

California deficit led to revival of offshore oil plan

Drilling proposal could give California nearly $2 billion

By Noaki Schwartz
ASSOCIATED PRESS
2:00 a.m. May 18, 2009

LOS ANGELES – With California facing a huge budget deficit, officials at the state Department of Finance saw an opportunity to resurrect a contentious proposal for oil drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara as a way to boost revenue and potentially bring $1.8 billion into state coffers over time.

Tom Sheehy, the department's chief deputy director, said he started working on a plan in March to ask the Legislature to give his department head authority to reconsider a project that had just died before the three-member State Lands Commission. At that meeting, Sheehy represented the governor's appointee on the panel and was the lone vote for the project.

On Thursday, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled the surprise plan that could lead to the first new offshore drilling project in more than 40 years, putting back into play one of California's most contentious environmental issues. The governor does not see his support as a lapse in his promise to oppose offshore drilling because the project falls within an exception in the state's moratorium, spokeswoman Lisa Pagesaid.
Others see it differently.

“Schwarzenegger has been at best disingenuous on his protection of the coast,â€

DON'T WASTE NATURAL RESOURCES

Every drop of oil that is left in the ground is a total waste of a natural resource.

San Francisco goes solar at reservoir

SAN FRANCISCO – City officials say a new ordinance signed by the mayor clears the way for the construction of 25,000 solar panels atop the city's largest water reservoir.

Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the ordinance on Friday, saying the solar power generated from the site will more than triple San Francisco's output from two megawatts to seven.

Associated Press