New Energy Reform Act could make Houma oilfield headquarters

Sen. Mary Landrieu (DLA) said last week she could envision Houma being the headquarters for new offshore oilfield opportunities if a proposed energy bill she is helping to craft passes.

The comment was made Thursday at a meeting with members of several local business groups at the Whitney Bank in Houma.

The legislation is called the New Energy Reform Act of 2008, better known as “New ERA.”

The plan hopes to do three things, according to Landrieu: open up significant new domestic oil and gas production, move the country towards alternative fuels and conserve energy by increasing efficiency.

“Houma is perfectly positioned to be basically the headquarters of this new energy opportunity,” she said. “Houma, Lafayette, Port Fourchon and parts of Lafourche are perfectly positioned to be powerhouses of the offshore oilfield supply that is going to be necessary to explore, produce, refine and distribute this energy.”

Landrieu claimed Houma, already one of the fastest growing markets in America, would experience even more growth if the bill passes Congress. She gave the chances of the bill’s passage at 50-50.

“I am confident this is the right path forward,” she said. “I would stake my reputation that this legislation or something very similar passes. I’m going to try and get this passed before the elections.”

Landrieu exalted her credentials as an advocate for expanded domestic energy production, such as oil drilling and nuclear power.

“I’m a Democrat, but I’m a pro-drilling, domestic resource Democratic,” she said. “I have literally led the only successful effort in Congress to actually open up acres of land that was previously under moratorium in the last 40 years.”

Landrieu previously co-sponsored the Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which got Louisiana 37.5 percent of oil revenue generated offshore.

It also opened 8.3 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to new oil and gas production called lease-sale 181 and 181 South.

Landrieu tied the importance of increasing oil and gas production to building the Morganza-to-the Gulf hurricane protection system.

“Houma cannot continue to grow if people think there is a chance they truly can be washed away in the Gulf of Mexico,” she said. “Banks will soon stop lending money; insurance companies will stop writing policies. There is just no long-term confidence that Houma can survive a category 3, 4 or 5 storm.”

New Energy Reform Act could make Houma oilfield headquarters