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In a decision that caught oil and gas industry executives by surprise, the largest governing party in Norway announced it is withdrawing its support for fossil fuel exploration in the Arctic ocean near the sensitive Lofoten Islands, thereby effectively putting them off limits for development.According to Bloomberg, State-controlled Equinor ASA, the biggest Norwegian oil producer, have said that gaining access to Lofoten is key if the country wants to maintain fuel production — experts had estimated that there are 1 billion to 3 billion barrels of oil in the waters off the Lofoten archipelago.
“The whole industry is surprised and disappointed,” said Karl Eirik Schjott-Pedersen, head of the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association. “It doesn’t provide the predictability we depend on.” Oil and gas labor unions were angered by the decision.
The Norwegian government announced recently its plans to tighten restrictions on investing in coal power for its $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund and will instead opt for more investments on renewable-energy.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., the Trump Administration is going in the opposite direction. Politico reported yesterday that the Administration has a plan to open to oil and gas drilling the federal waters (not close to the shore) of the Eastern Gulf coast off Florida, something that is opposed by every politician, Republican and Democrat, in the state. The Trump Administration in the past had said that Florida was off the table, particularly the Eastern Gulf of Mexico because it is a significant area for the military to conduct training operations, not to mention fisheries and tourism that are drivers of the economy on Florida’s west coast. Last November, a statewide ballot measure banning oil and gas development in state waters passed by a wide margin.
Why This Matters: The Lofoten Islands are a natural wonder with a history that dates back to the Viking age. This no-drilling decision is yet another sign of the disfavor of oil and gas in the face of climate change. It is particularly noteworthy because Norway became a wealthy nation due to the development of its oil and gas reserves. According to Bloomberg, this could be just the beginning — the next battle will be regarding whether to continue to permit drilling in the Barents Sea. Drilling for oil off the US coast is also extremely unpopular — a Quinnipiac University poll of Florida voters conducted in March showed 64 percent oppose the practice. Republicans, though, supported it by a 54-38 percent margin. Many Republicans in Florida worry that if Trump goes ahead with his plan to please the oil and gas industry and open up the coast to drilling, it could cost him the election.
On Monday, the state of Virginia and Dominion Energy announced the completion of the second offshore wind facility in the U.S. and the first one in federal waters. Its two turbines sit 27 miles off the coast and when operational later this summer, will produce enough electricity to power 3000 homes.
Why This Matters: If the waters off Virginia are suitable for wind farms, with their close proximity to ports, naval facilities, and tourism, then it is hard to imagine why wind power can’t be developed in many other areas along the U.S. coast.
by Jenna Sullivan-Stack, Postdoctoral Scholar, Oregon State University Department of Integrative Biology When preparing for the birth of my son this February, I decided to make him a mobile of some of the things that are most important to me (I am not crafty, so this was a real labor of love). What I ended […]
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