Since 1982, through the annual appropriations process, Congress has prohibited the exploration and production of offshore energy - making the United States the only country in the world that does not harvest its natural resources offshore.

Ironically, in that same period of time, America has increased its dependence on foreign energy - now importing 66 percent of the oil and 15 percent of the natural gas we consume. Compare those figures to 1982 levels when we imported just 37 percent of the oil and 4 percent of the natural gas we consumed and you can see why we are in a crisis.

The notion that we do not have enough oil or natural gas in this country to make a difference at the pump is simply not true.

The Minerals Management Service, the federal agency tasked with managing offshore mineral resources, recently estimated (conservatively) that the United States owns 86 billion barrels of oil offshore - the equivalent to 35 years of imported oil from OPEC - and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, equal to an 18-year supply.

Furthermore, when unconventional sources such as oil shale (a rock that contains oil and when heated, petroleum is released) are taken into account, America is sitting on the largest oil reserve in the world - estimated at 2 trillion barrels.

America has plenty of oil and natural gas to go around - it is just a matter of the getting Congress and the radical environmental lobby out of the way of domestic production. Another misconception often heard is that it will take 10 years before any oil or natural gas makes it to market.

In the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of Southern California, where energy infrastructure is currently in place, experts have reported that we could produce oil and natural gas within two years. In areas where infrastructure is not in place it could take upwards of 12 years.

Using the excuse that 10 years is too long to wait for production, President Clinton, 12 years ago, vetoed legislation that would have allowed exploration and production of oil in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge - which today could be yielding more than 1 million barrels of oil a day.

Whether it is two years from now or 12, the day Congress removes its 27-year ban on offshore oil and natural gas production, prices will stabilize and we will be on the road to energy independence.

Last month when President Bush removed the executive prohibition on offshore production, the price of oil plummeted from $146 to $116 per barrel in the ensuing weeks and national average for a gallon of gasoline went from an all-time high of $4.12 to $3.78.

Frustrated by the lack of leadership in Washington on both sides, Congressman Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), and I formed a group of 24 Republican and Democrat members and drafted The National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act, H.R.6709, a bipartisan energy plan in an attempt to force Congress to address the energy crisis. It was introduced the day before the August congressional recess and already has 125 cosponsors. We hope to double that when Congress returns next month and have a vote in the House before adjournment.

Recognizing that drilling is just a part of the solution to our energy crises, we need to conserve, invest in next-generation fuels to change our overall 'fuel mix', and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Renewable and alternative fuels are the future. But to get to that future we need a 'bridge' and a dedicated funding stream that adequately invests in future technologies. Our bipartisan energy bill does just that. We dedicate 40 percent - over one trillion dollars - of the offshore oil and natural gas royalties to fund the research and future development of renewable and clean energy, environmental restoration and conservation, to name a few.

This legislation is as much about the environment as is about securing our energy future. Over one quarter of a trillion dollars - $260 billion - is dedicated to restoring our nation's waterways, including the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and the Florida Everglades. HR 6709, the bipartisan National Conservation, Environment and Energy Independence Act, is not a silver bullet, but it represents a truly bipartisan effort to place our great nation on the road to energy independence in an environmentally sensitive manner. For additional information on this legislation visit my website at http://www.house.gov/johnpeterson or call my Washington office at 202-225-5121.

John Peterson is the Congressman representing the Fifth District of Pennsylvania, including Jefferson, Elk, McKean, Cameron and parts of Clarion and Clearfield counties. This was originally published in the Courier-Express/Tri-County 2008

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