Charlie Van Zant's Faith-Based Energy Policy

The media did no reporting on Charlie Van Zant's bizarro quotes. Van Zant argued in favor of HB 1219. The bill would allow oil drilling 3 miles off the coast of Florida. Blogger Bruce Ritchie has a full excerpt of Van Zant's rant from the floor of the Florida House of Representatives.

"Some people would like to think that (the world's petroleum supply is limited). Estimates might show that. But that doesn't mean that at all. We happen to worship a god who made it all out of nothing anyway. And if we ran out, I certainly believe he could make some more."

Forget what science says. Van Zant is running a faith-based energy policy.

Other factually incorrect statements from Van Zant.

"God created the oil and will create more once we pump what is there."

"If we don't drill, the China, Argentina, and Cuba will so they can fund terrorists."

"Drilling will provide more money to Florida than tourism."

I'm still trying to get a transcript and a Youtube video. If anyone has more on the story email me at Sullivan40@gmail.com.

Update: Van Zant spoke at a McCain-Palin rally. The hammered away about banning abortion and urging voters to support the anti-gay marriage Amendment 2. Van Zant shifted to the need for Florida to have nuclear power plants and (drum roll please) offshore drilling. Van Zant sold the false promise that drilling off of Florida's coast would drop gas prises in the state.



The oil from the outer coaster shelf would not greatly impact production. Oil companies would sell the crude oil and natural gas to a global market. Anti-regulation Republicans aren't about to force oil companies to sell only to Florida. I doubt that would be legal.

The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.

Similarly, lower 48 natural gas production is not projected to increase substantially by 2030 as a result of increased access to the OCS. Cumulatively, lower 48 natural gas production from 2012 through 2030 is projected to be 1.8 percent higher in the OCS access case than in the reference case. Production levels in the OCS access case are projected at 19.0 trillion cubic feet in 2030, a 3-percent increase over the reference case projection of 18.4 trillion cubic feet. However, natural gas production from the lower 48 offshore in 2030 is projected to be 18 percent (590 billion cubic feet) higher in the OCS access case (Figure 21). In 2030, the OCS access case projects a decrease of $0.13 in the average wellhead price of natural gas (2005 dollars per thousand cubic feet), a decrease of 250 billion cubic feet in imports of liquefied natural gas, and an increase of 360 billion cubic feet in natural gas consumption relative to the reference case projections. In addition, despite the increase in production from previously restricted areas after 2012, total natural gas production from the lower 48 OCS is projected generally to decline after 2020.

Below is an EIA chart of what oil and gas production would be if the restrictions on drilling in the United States outer continental shelf was lifted. None of the data matters to Van Zant. If believes God will make more oil.