1 SR135
2 214218-1
3 By Senator Sessions
4 RFD:
5 First Read: 17-MAY-21
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1 214218-1:n:05/11/2021:SLU/cmg 2021-1348
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8 SENATE RESOLUTION SUPPORTING CONTINUED GULF OF
9 MEXICO OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF LEASING.
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11 WHEREAS, the cancellation of the Keystone XL
12 Pipeline immediately impacted tens of thousands of families
13 through current and future job losses; and
14 WHEREAS, the United States is on a path toward
15 greater reliance on foreign energy produced with lower
16 environmental standards by a moratorium on all new oil and
17 natural gas leases on federal lands and federal waters; and
18 WHEREAS, a federal leasing and development ban would
19 cost nearly one million American jobs by 2022 and put nine
20 billion dollars in government revenue at risk while states
21 will lose hundreds of millions of dollars from mineral
22 royalties shared by the federal government that fund schools,
23 infrastructure, and environmental projects; and
24 WHEREAS, this policy appears to be a first step
25 toward a policy of banning natural gas and oil development on
26 federal lands and waters; and
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1 WHEREAS, projections show that demand for energy
2 will continue to rise, such that restricting development on
3 federal lands and waters is nothing more than an "import more
4 oil" policy where the United States is forced to rely on
5 imports from sometimes hostile foreign countries with lower
6 environmental standards; and
7 WHEREAS, current policies could lead to increases in
8 oil imports by two million barrels per day and could reduce
9 natural gas exports by 800 billion cubic feet by 2030; and
10 WHEREAS, the cumulative effects of these policies
11 will result in residential consumers spending 19 billion
12 dollars more on energy by 2030; and
13 WHEREAS, in a federal Bureau of Ocean Energy
14 Management report analyzing the effects of offshore leasing
15 restrictions, experts found that United States greenhouse gas
16 emissions would be little affected and could increase slightly
17 in the absence of new offshore leasing due to increased
18 foreign imports; and
19 WHEREAS, administrations over the past 30 years have
20 advocated for the United States to be energy independent which
21 is finally close to being fully realized; and
22 WHEREAS, the United States is the leader in the
23 world for reducing greenhouse gases through the conversion of
24 coal utility plants to natural gas; and
25 WHEREAS, today, oil and natural gas comprise about
26 60 percent of the global energy supply and are projected by
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1 the International Energy Agency to remain over 50 percent
2 through 2040; and
3 WHEREAS, according to a scenario developed by the
4 International Energy Agency, every country that meets its
5 Paris Accord commitments will still have natural gas and oil
6 comprising approximately 46 percent of their energy portfolio
7 in 2040; and
8 WHEREAS, 93 percent of voters find that it is
9 important for the United States to produce enough energy to
10 avoid being dependent on other countries, and 73 percent
11 believe that natural gas and oil will remain a significant
12 part of the United States' energy needs in 2040; now
13 therefore,
14 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE LEGISLATURE OF
15 ALABAMA, That the Senate of Alabama supports continued Gulf of
16 Mexico outer continental shelf leasing, and respectfully calls
17 on the President and Congress to:
18 1. Pursue policies of energy independence over
19 foreign dependence while creating American jobs and leading to
20 economic revival rather than small-town decline; and
21 2. Promote domestic energy infrastructure through
22 the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the removal of
23 barriers that prevent or slow new oil and natural gas
24 pipelines; and
25 3. Allow future exploration and production on
26 federal lands and federal waters to ensure reliable and
27 affordable energy for the citizens of the United States; and
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1 4. Pursue policies that promote innovations through
2 competitive markets to reduce greenhouse gases; and
3 5. Continue to pursue policies that encourage
4 domestic oil and natural gas production, which will result in
5 lower greenhouse gas emissions and a healthier environment
6 than oil and natural gas produced elsewhere in the world.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this
8 resolution shall be delivered to the President of the United
9 States and the Alabama Congressional Delegation.
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