Virginia Petroleum Council to Gov. McAuliffe: Virginians benefit from safe offshore energy development

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Virginia Petroleum Council Executive Director Miles Morin released the following statement in response to Governor McAuliffe's comments on the Interior Department's oil and gas leasing program. 

"It's high time Virginians felt the benefits of harnessing our state's vast energy resources. As the Governor has previously stated, safe and responsible energy development off the coast of Virginia would bring millions, and potentially hundreds of millions, of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs to the Commonwealth. We support necessary environmental protections and state revenue sharing from energy development, and stand ready to work with Governor McAuliffe and the Virginia Congressional delegation to make safe offshore development a reality for Virginia consumers and workers through the next five year plan.

"Shutting Virginia off to this economic engine would be short-sighted. The existing Hampton Roads port has the infrastructure, skilled workers, and maritime industries like shipbuilding and engineering, that can benefit Virginia consumers and workers, help strengthen our national security and provide the American energy our nation demands."

Support for offshore energy development is widely supported by groups across the state that today sent a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management urging the agency to allow for more leasing, exploration and development of potential U.S. offshore oil and natural gas resources.

Signers on the letter included: Columbia Gas of Virginia, Dominion Energy, Environmental Standards, LLC, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia Farm Bureau, Virginia FREE, Virginia Hispanic Chamber, Virginia Natural Gas, Virginia Oil and Gas Association, Virginia Petroleum Council, Virginia Petroleum, Convenience and Grocery Association, Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council, Virginia Trucking Association and Washington Gas. 

This coalition letter is in addition to recent letters sent by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Manufacturers Association supporting offshore energy development in Virginia.

The Virginia Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents all segments of America's oil and natural gas industry. Its more than 625 members include large integrated companies, as well as exploration and production, refining, marketing, pipeline, and marine businesses, and service and supply firms. They provide most of the nation's energy and are backed by a growing grassroots movement of more than 40 million Americans.

SOURCE American Petroleum Institute