US media accused of stoking offshore drilling confusion

The Centre for Economic and Policy Research has claimed the US media is misleading the public over offshore drilling

The US media has badly mispresented the debate over offshore drilling leading the public to believe that an increase in drilling would deliver immediate cuts in fuel prices, according to media monitoring groups.

The Centre for Economic and Policy Research said that news media has been giving more air time to advocates of offshore drilling, while under-representing US government studies that say the activity would have a negligible effect on oil prices in the near future.

According to a survey conducted by the Centre, McCain's pro-offshore drilling stance has been successful with the US electorate. Over two third of respondents were in favour of drilling, and 51 per cent thought that federal laws prohibiting offshore driling were a major cause of the recent increase in gas prices.

However, an official study from the US Government's Energy Information Administration said the exact opposite. "The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030," the report said.

Meanwhile, a group of Congressmen hopes to tighten up oil drilling policy next week by proposing legislation that would attempt to reconcile differences on either side of the House. The self styled "gang of 10" propose a compromise energy package that would clamp down on oil speculation while forcing oil companies to use existing drilling rights on US soil. Introducing tighter controls for the use of on-shore drilling has been a central part of the Democrats' energy platform.

The New Energy Reform Act of 2008 would also open up some offshore areas for drilling, while offering some concessions in return to the environmental movement, including an extension of the soon-to-expire production tax credit for renewable energy, and tax incentives for renewable vehicles.

The proposals seek to break a long-running deadlock that has seen Democrats attempts to extend green energy tax breaks repeatedly thwarted by Republicans concerned about how the scheme will be funded.