HOBBS, N.M. — Seeking to reset his economic message, Republican Mitt Romney pledged Thursday to create 3 million jobs and more than $1 trillion in revenue by ramping up offshore oil drilling and giving states more control over energy production on federal land.
Romney, reviving a long-elusive goal pushed by presidents and presidential candidates for decades, said his plans would make the U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, energy independent by 2020.
“This is not some pie in the sky kind of thing,” Romney told voters in Hobbs, the heart of New Mexico’s oil and gas industry. “This is a real achievable objective.”
The cornerstone of Romney’s plan is opening up more areas for offshore oil drilling, including in the mid-Atlantic, where it is currently banned. He also wants to give states the power to establish all forms of energy production on federal lands, a significant shift in current policy that could face opposition in Congress.
His proposals make little mention of renewable sources of energy, like wind and solar, backed by President Barack Obama. Romney has deep ties to big oil and raised more than $7 million from industry executives during a campaign fundraiser in Texas this week.
Romney said his energy proposals would result in more than $1 trillion in revenue for federal, state and local governments, plus millions of jobs.
In a supporting document, Romney says it now takes up to 307 days to receive permits to drill a well on federal land. By contrast, states such as North Dakota issue permits within 10 days and Colorado within 27 days, Romney said.
“States are far better able to develop, adopt and enforce regulations based on their unique resources, geology and local concerns,” the statement said.
In an effort to appease environmentalists, Romney says he would prevent energy production on federal lands designated as off-limits.
Romney’s plan focuses heavily on boosting domestic oil production, including approving the Keystone XL pipeline that would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in Texas.
The Romney plan makes little mention of wind energy, which Obama has pushed heavily in states such as Iowa and Colorado. Obama has pushed Congress to extend a tax credit for producers of wind energy, an approach that Romney opposes.
Romney accused Obama of seeking to block oil and gas production to help renewable energy companies prosper.
“I like wind and solar like the next person, but I don’t want the law to be used to stop the production of oil and gas and coal,” Romney said.
The Obama campaign released a statement from Federico Peña, a secretary of energy in the Clinton administration, criticizing Romney’s emphasis on drilling. “We will never reach energy independence by turning our backs on homegrown renewable energy and better auto mileage,” Peña said.
The plan at a glance
• Offshore drilling: The proposal would establish a five-year leasing plan for offshore oil production that “aggressively opens” new areas for drilling, starting with the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina.
• Federal lands: The plan would give states control over energy production on millions of acres of land now under federal authority.
• Renewable energy: The plan makes little mention of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
