by Lone Shark
Senate Bill 1158 sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers is a seemingly common sense legislative measure that would permit private energy exploration companies to enter into joint venture agreements with Florida’s state land management agencies in efforts to explore state lands for oil and gas. Unfortunately, a combination of bureaucratic inertia, perceived conflicts of interest, and fear of media demagoguery seems to be derailing the prospects that this bill will ever get to Governor Rick Scott’s desk.
The area under consideration for exploration resides in the Blackwater River State Forest that resides just east of Pensacola and extends northward into Alabama. Fairways Exploration and Production LLC is an oil exploration and development company that is looking to ink an agreement with the state that would not only permit them to explore, drill and produce oil, but would also grant them virtual exclusivity to explore the territory and lock out possible competitors.
Governor Scott’s office is understandably raising concerns about the fact that the measure would create two different channels for the approval of agreements with energy companies for such projects- one that would go through land management agencies and the Department of Environmental Protection, the other which would be under the authority of his own Cabinet. This convoluted approval process for exploration efforts would no doubt create conflicts, but it’s in the interests of the people that this administrative issue be addressed and resolved quickly. If this dilemma becomes one of those intractable disputes between the legislative and executive branches as to who has proper authority over such matters, it will only wind up hurting Floridians by stalling economic development and job creation- not to mention it becoming another embarrassment that casts doubt on our nation’s ability to marshal the energy resources that exist right under our feet.
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It’s an unfortunate sign of the times that even in more conservative-leaning states under Republican leadership there still exists such trepidation and political concern about the approval of energy exploration efforts. There’s really no legitimate reason why such efforts shouldn’t proceed forward under the proper regulatory oversight. With regards to Fairways Exploration, you can make the case that it’s not advisable for the state to secure an exclusive contract with any one company for exploration efforts on public lands rather than one which is achieved through a competitive bidding process that takes place within a realistic time frame.
We strongly implore all those involved in this matter to work towards streamlining the approval process and moving this legislation forward now- let’s not become yet another textbook example of bureaucratic inertia at the state level. Even if this issue is not fully resolved this legislative session, it’s incumbent upon all lawmakers from the Governor on down to address and resolve all of the outstanding questions and concerns promptly to ensure the approval of energy exploration efforts on state lands during the next legislative session.
