Many in the energy industry are upset with the slow pace of permit issuance for oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The Consumer Energy Alliance is putting a strong voice behind that sentiment, running TV and Internet ads in key political states criticizing President Barack Obama’s policy on that issue,
The Hill reports.
The White House placed a moratorium on deepwater drilling after the April 2010 BP spill and implemented several regulations to strengthen safety.
The Interior Department began issuing permits again for deepwater drilling early this year, but industry groups charge it’s going too slowly in approving the permit applications.
The ads are appearing for two weeks in Wisconsin and Colorado, two key battleground states for the 2012 presidential election.
The ads feature a Colorado farmer and a Wisconsin truckdriver describing the woes created by high fuel prices and urging an increase in drilling.
The Consumer Energy Alliance’s membership includes oil companies and trade groups, and businesses and associations representing a range of energy consuming sectors, such as the chemical, steel, trucking, airline, and restaurant industries.
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