After showcasing the “Explore Offshore” campaign promoting more energy exploration off Florida’s coasts, two of its leaders talked to Sunshine State about why they are supporting this effort.
In Tallahassee, on Wednesday, the American Petroleum Institute (API) showcased its “Explore Offshore” campaign, being led by former U.S. Veterans Affairs Sec. Jim Nicholson, who led the Republican National Committee (RNC), and former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2016 election cycle.
After the event, Nicholson and David Mica, the executive director of the Florida Petroleum Council, talked to Sunshine State News about their efforts.
Sunshine State News asked Nicholson if more offshore production would reduce gas prices in Florida.
“Absolutely,” Nicholson replied. “The market’s an honest place. Supply and demand works. That’s one of the strong arguments on this among many. Taking a long term view, we need a sustained source of domestic oil and gas for this country. We continue to grow 1 to 2 percent -- another three to five million (people) every year. We’ve done extraordinarily well in our use of new technology and discoveries ... but it’s not going to last forever.
“The demand is going to increase,” he added. “We have to be able to look out for these new sources.”
Nicholson insisted energy exploration won’t hurt the tourism industry in Florida.
“They are not mutually exclusive,” Nicholson noted. “They’re complimentary.” He noted that many tourists come to Florida by automobile and insisted lower gas costs will ensure that more families use their discretionary income to head to the Sunshine State.
Continuing on the impact of tourism, Nicholson and Mica stressed that changes in technology made energy exploration “invisible.”
“It’s not an either/or situation,” Mica said.
Nicholson also said energy exploration won’t impact military operations and naval training in the Gulf.
“It’s already being done,” Nicholson said, pointing to maps showing military training areas and energy exploration zones in the Gulf. He noted that some of the areas where military training is taking place are in places where the U.S. Interior Department would not allow energy exploration.
Both Nicholson and Mica agreed that international companies were growing more active in energy exploration in the region, including off the Straits of Florida, dividing Cuba from the Sunshine State, but said it was way too early to consider where offshore energy will be found. In a media event Wednesday, former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, one of the “Explore Offshore” state chairmen, said ,“We’re not talking ‘drill, baby, drill.’ We’re talking ‘explore, baby, explore.” Nicholson and Mica agreed with that assessment.
“We’re having a conversation about starting to look at what’s out there," Mica said. “We need to see what’s out there. The data is 30 years old.” Mica said the first step would be seismic testing, pointing to “cutting edge technology” which makes energy exploration easier. Having said that, he noted that the federal government had to open up more areas for exploration for that to happen.
“It’s not an overnight process,” Mica added, noting the federal government has to reassess and evaluate areas for energy exploration, including environmental impact studies before even considering more exploration. Mica also said there is a “marked increase” in Mexico approving offshore exploration.
Nicholson insisted there was a “strategic need” for more domestic energy exploration before “economic and military disruptions.”
Turning to Florida, Mica said he hopes to rally more residents of the Sunshine State behind energy exploration.
“There are millions of Floridians who are very supportive of us,” Mica said. “We want to give them the general knowledge of the importance of what we’re doing.”
Mica noted support of more energy exploration often changes with gas prices. “Prices can change with a world event, a crisis,” Mica said. “A lot of the popular talk would immediately change.”
However, Mica stressed that short term price fluctuations should not be the main rationale behind more energy exploration.
“We can’t do that as an industry.” Mica said. “We’ve got to look at this long term and exploring offshore is a part of that for the United States’ energy and security interests.”
Sunshine State News asked Nicholson and Mica if energy can join other sectors like tourism, home construction and agriculture as a foundation of Florida’s economy.
“I believe my industry saved us from a depression as opposed to a recession,” Mica said. “The advances in exploration that were made, mostly shell development, changed the face of America and probably saved us from a disastrous time.”
“That’s right,” Nicholson said. “This has the potential to help us in so many ways.” Pointing to the Sunshine State, Nicholson said energy exploration could lead to 150,000 new jobs in Florida over the next two decades and an extra billion in revenue for the state government. “The average salary of these workers is $101,000. A lot of these jobs don’t require a college degree. They require a trainable, technical competence.” Pointing to his service as U.S. secretary of veterans affairs, Nicholson said he was proud to note that one out of ten of employees in the energy sector are veterans.
Mica noted that local governments across the state could benefit from more revenue in the Federal Land and Conversation Fund.
In conclusion, Nicholson said more exploration can greatly impact the nation’s future.
“I think this is a very important new endeavor,” Nicholson said. “I feel very strongly about it’s importance to our country. In the near term, I think it’s important to start quantifying what’s out there which has virtually no risks at all and makes so much sense for us to know what is out there.
“We’ve got so much coast in this country," Nicholson said. “We ought to know what’s out there.”
