“I have worked with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on this issue for weeks and it is wrong for Sen. Vitter to try to get something in return for moving forward on a matter that the Senate has considered routine for more than a century.

“Ken Salazar is extremely well-qualified, hard-working cabinet secretary, and deserves better than to be strong armed while trying to do an important job for the American people.”

Beijing, China – Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued the following statement on the first anniversary of the BP oil spill, which began in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010. Reid is in China this week, leading an historic delegation of 10 U.S. Senators to clean-energy sites across the country and to discussing other pressing matters with Chinese government and business leaders.

“The damage of BP’s devastating oil spill will be felt for years to come. For the families of the 11 workers killed in the explosion, no policy change or business decision can replace lost loved ones.

“Some of the other scars of that spill will be visible — in the water and wildlife and throughout the environment. But we also will endure economic pain — in the efforts of small businesses and communities to rebuild.

“These environmental and economic impacts remind us of one of the most important lessons from this tragedy: the United States must reduce our dependence on oil.

“We must invest more quickly and more significantly in job-creating American clean energy projects that will strengthen our economy, environment and national security, as well as setting long-term policies to promote clean alternatives to oil.  At this critical time in the recover of our economy, we cannot afford to keep giving huge tax breaks to big oil companies that even some of their executives have admitted they don’t need.

“During our Congressional delegation’s week-long trip to China, I am looking forward to learning more about how the Chinese are successfully investing in renewable energy, to see what we can do most effectively in the United States to encourage rapid investment in this important sector of our economy. Our nation has vast renewable energy resources, especially in states like Nevada, that can solve our environmental, economic and national security problems but only if we don’t make the mistakes of the past and choose instead to move forward to a clean energy future.”

Here are the facts Republicans ignore:

Fact: U.S. oil production, including that on federal lands and waters,  has been increasing since 2008, with its largest single-year increase indecades in 2009. In the last two years, oil production from the federal U.S. Outer Continental Shelf has increased by more than a third, from 446 million barrels in 2008 to an estimated more than 600 million barrels in 2010.  Oil production from onshore public lands increased by 5 percent over the last year, from 109 million barrels in 2009 to 114 million barrels in 2010.  U.S. oil production is forecast to continue to increase through 2035.  And the U.S. oil industry has access to more than 60 million acres of federal land and water that they have not taken action to put into production.  [Bureau of Land Management and Energy Information Administration (EIA)]

Fact:Nearly 20 percent of U.S. oil refinery capacity currently sits idle, the highest idle capacity rate in over a decade; clearly, we do not have a problem with lack of refinery capacity. [EIA]

Fact: EPA’s current Clean Air Act standards for vehicles are projected to save consumers money at the pump – $130 – $160 per car per year – and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil. [EPA]

Fact: Oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico continued unabated throughout the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The moratorium that was implemented after the Deepwater Horizon disaster was lifted in October 2010, affected only the initiation of new deepwater drilling activity, and had no application to existing producing wells.  Despite the Deepwater Horizon disaster, oil production in the Gulf of Mexico increased in 2009 and 2010 after falling since 2004. [EIA]

Fact: The best way to reduce our long-term dependence on oil from dangerous regions of the world is by investing in alternative fuels. Increased domestic drilling will not end the addiction to oil which compromises our economic and national security. With less than 1.5% of the world’s oil reserves, the only way to reduce long term dependence on oil is by investing in a alternative fuel sources.  The Democrats’ clean energy agenda would improve vehicle efficiency, increase our use of alternative fuels, and save more oil between now and 2030 than the U.S. currently has in oil reserves.  The Republican spending plan cuts funding for alternative energy sources by more than $700 million. It also slashes the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program for clean energy developers and manufacturing companies designed to bring clean energy technologies to commercial scale use. [NYTimes 02/14/11, Forbes 03/03/11]

Myth: Domestic oil production is down in the United States under President Obama.

Fact: U.S. oil production, including that on federal lands and waters,  has been increasing since 2008, with its largest single-year increase in decades in 2009.  U.S. oil production is forecast to continue to increase through 2035.  And the U.S. oil industry has access to more than 60 million acres of federal land and water that they have not taken action to put into production.  [Bureau of Land Management and Energy Information Administration (EIA)]

Myth: Last fall’s moratorium on drilling new deepwater wells in the Gulf  reduced U.S. oil supply and is driving up gas prices.

Fact: Oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico continued unabated throughout the Deepwater Horizon disaster, even while oil was spilling into the Gulf.   The moratorium – which was lifted in October 2010 — affected only the initiation of new deepwater drilling activity and had no application to existing producing wells.  Despite the Deepwater Horizon disaster, oil production in the Gulf of Mexico increased in 2009 and 2010 after falling since 2004.  Meanwhile, gas prices have increased over the last month, at the same time as domestic oil production has increased.  [EIA]

Myth: We can reduce oil prices if we just “drill baby drill” domestically.

Fact: More drilling is not a solution to high oil prices.  While U.S. oil production has dramatically increased in the last two years, oil prices have increased  as well.  In its 2007 Annual Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration analyzed the impacts of lifting drilling moratoria on the Atlantic, Pacific, and eastern Gulf coasts and found that: “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. Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.”  [EIA]

Myth: The Republican “all of the above” energy strategy will reduce consumption and make us less dependent on foreign oil.

Fact: A true “all of the above” strategy would require focus on transportation efficiency and alternatives, which have proven track records of reducing our oil consumption.  Increased domestic drilling will not end the addiction to oil which compromises our economic and national security.  With less than 1.5% of the world’s oil reserves, the only way to reduce long term dependence on oil is by investing in a clean energy economy.   The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which improved vehicle efficiency and increased our use of biofuels, will save more oil between now and 2030 than the U.S. currently has in oil reserves.  The Republican spending bill cuts funding for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy by more than $700 million.  It also slashes the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program for clean energy developers and manufacturing companies designed to bring clean energy technologies to commercial scale use.  [NYTimes 02/14/11, Forbes 03/03/11]

Myth: The EPA’s regulation of oil refineries and the President’s Cap & Trade policy is to blame for higher gas prices.

Fact: 18 percent of U.S. oil refinery capacity currently sits idle, the highest idle capacity rate in over a decade; clearly, we do not have a problem with lack of refinery capacity.   EPA’s current Clean Air Act standards for vehicles are projected to save consumers money at the pump — $130 – $160 per year – and save 1.8 billion barrels of oil.  And, of course, the cap and trade proposal never became law.  To blame that policy proposal for gasoline price increases is yet another example of a cynical attempt to gain political points rather than address our fundamental addiction to oil.  [EIA and EPA]