Government Energy Policy, Business and Technology

ME: LePage’s support for offshore drilling may undermine effort to exempt areas off Maine

Portland Press Herald: Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke made an unexpected announcement Tuesday evening on Twitter: Florida, he had decided after meeting with that state’s Republican governor, would be exempted from the Trump administration’s new plan to open most U.S. federal waters to oil and gas exploration and drilling.

“I support the governor’s position that Florida is unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver,” Zinke said in a statement posted shortly after the tweet, which had included a picture of Zinke chatting with Gov. Rick Scott at Tallahassee’s airport. “I am removing Florida from consideration for any new oil and gas platforms.”

The announcement had governors of other coastal states scrambling to get their own drilling exemptions: Republicans Henry McMaster of South Carolina and Chris Christie of New Jersey. Democrats Andrew Cuomo of New York and John Carney of Delaware.

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