One bright spot in energy supply

Some oil exploration is being allowed by Congress - by the Republicans in 2006, not the Democrat Luddites.

An agreement was made to protect most of Florida's coast in exchange for "developing" an area 125 miles off shore. 125 miles. Note that that is farther off-shore than the Chinese are now drilling!

If the Demos are betting that preventing more supply of energy is a winning issue they might get a big surprise in November.

Business & Technology | Florida may signal boom in coastal oil drilling | Seattle Times Newspaper:

Oil companies once viewed drilling in the deep waters off Florida as cost-prohibitive. Politicians feared even the slightest sign of support would be career suicide.

No more. Record crude-oil prices are fueling support for oil and natural-gas exploration off the nation's shores. In Florida, the movement was under way even before President Bush called on Congress last month to lift a federal moratorium that's barred new offshore drilling since 1981.

The early activity here stems from a 2006 congressional compromise that allows drilling on 8.3 million acres more than 125 miles off the Panhandle — an area that had been covered by the moratorium, which was enacted out of environmental concerns. In exchange, the state got a no-drilling buffer along the rest of its beaches.

... If oil or natural-gas deposits are found in the newly opened region, experts say it could further the push to explore other once-protected areas everywhere.