Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

NC: Trump official discusses offshore drilling with governor, legislators in separate meetings

The News & Observer: U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke held separate discussions about offshore drilling Saturday with a group of Republican legislators and Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, who was joined by coastal elected leaders who are opposed to oil exploration.

Cooper said Zinke made no promises. The governor, along with Attorney General Josh Stein, requested an extension of the federal government’s comment period on the issue and proposed three additional public hearings near the coast — in Wilmington, Morehead City and Kill Devil Hills. Zinke was receptive to that, Cooper said, and plans a visit to coastal North Carolina.

“He said that he was listening, and he heard each and every one of us,” Cooper said. “I think generally he was pretty positive about what we said. He didn’t make any promises to us.”

Read article