By State Representative Jason Spencer (R-Woodbine)
(487 words)
The U.S. economy might be recovering, but many Georgians still remain out of work. Joblessness in our state stands at 6.4 percent. While the jobless rate in Georgia is improving, the state’s unemployment numbers are still above the national average.
So how can officials in Georgia kick-start local job creation and bring hope to the unemployed? The answer lies just off of the coast, in the federal waters off the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf.
Spanning from Florida to Maine, the Atlantic Shelf is one of the richest areas for energy exploration in the world, with an estimated 4.72 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 37.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the ocean floor.
The last surveys of the Atlantic were conducted more than 30 years ago. New surveys, conducted with today’s state-of-the-art technology, could more accurately identify promising energy reserves and give a fuller picture of the Atlantic’s oil and gas bounty.
These surveys use compressed air underwater and ultimately create a 3-D image of what lies beneath the ocean floor. The method is similar to a sonogram.
There are some concerns that this process will damage the local environment. Georgians are rightly proud of the beauty of their beaches and coastal towns from Savannah to St. Marys, which attract visitors from all across the globe.
However, citizens can rest assured that modern seismic imaging is safe and environmentally sound. Indeed, surveys have been conducted around the world, including the Gulf of Mexico, without disrupting commercial fisheries or harming marine life. That experience, as well as decades of scientific studies, led the federal government to approve seismic testing off the East Coast last year.
The government’s final report concluded that there is “no documented scientific evidence” that seismic surveys harm coastal communities or marine animals. In addition, there is enough information that has been thoroughly vetted to make decisions that will strike the right balance of protecting our environment and using potential energy resources to create jobs.
Moreover, there are sizeable economic benefits wrought by gas and oil exploration that is well documented. Nationally, the oil and gas industry contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy, or 8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and it supports nearly 10 million jobs.
Opening up Georgia’s waters to energy exploration could power our state’s economy for decades to come and put thousands of locals back to work. One recent study found that offshore oil and gas development would inject $281 million in to the Georgia economy and create thousands of new jobs.
But if Georgia wants to join in on the energy boom, it cannot afford to wait, since it can take 10 to 15 years to develop an offshore oil or gas site. The sooner new surveys start, the better.
Georgia has what it takes to become an energy production powerhouse. Seismic exploration is just the first step toward improving our state economy through energy development.
Representative Jason Spencer represents the citizens of District 180, which includes Camden, Charlton, and Ware counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the Secretary of the Special Rules Committee. He also serves on the Game Fish & Parks, Human Relations & Aging, Science and Technology, and Juvenile Justice committees.
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