The governors, during the ongoing Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, said that the consequences of Deepwater Horizon have loomed too large and continued for too long, reported The Wall Street Journal.
According to the governors of states bordering the Gulf of Mexico, including Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster has taught a hard lesson; however, the governments’ existing approval process is still holding back offshore activities across the nation.
During the conference, governors of states such as Texas and Alaska said that the federal government should relax its regulation on the industry and open an opportunity for the states to share more of the revenue oil and gas leasing generates.
Governors of East Coast states, where offshore drilling activity is not currently encouraged, have recommended the government to open up their waters to the energy industry.
Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Republican, was quoted by the publication as saying, "States know how to harness our natural resources."
Another Republican and Alaska Governor Sean Parnell noted that slow permitting process as one major factor that is impeding Arctic drilling from expansion.
