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continental shelf (OCS). That means 85% of the OCS is closed to exploration. Are there marketable amounts of oil and natural gas in that 85%? If the Gulf of Mexico is any indication, there certainly is. But we don?t know the true amounts, and won?t know, without looking. The current  ve year plan does not open up any new areas for oil and natural gas exploration, but Congress could open up more areas through legislation and should do so. There is strong political support for opening up areas off the coasts of Virginia and South Carolina. Those areas would be a good start. Opponents of increased offshore oil and natural gas development often claim that it would take ten years or more before we saw any production from those new areas. In some cases that might be true, but had we started ten years ago, we wouldn?t be having this argument. In addition, energy forecasts indicate that oil and natural gas will continue to be dominant components of our energy supply for generations to come. We will need those presently untapped ssupplies, not only for our energy reliability and security, but also to ful ll predictions that the U.S. will become a leader in oil and natural gas production around the end of this decade. Opening up new areas, coupled with increased development of nontraditional sources of energy, such as offshore wind, wave and current will contribute greatly to our long term economic stability and well-being. Elections have consequences, yes. Yet Americans expect their leaders, even if they didn?t vote for them, to make America a better place in which to live and work. Recognizing and harnessing the value of existing and prospective offshore energy resources to our nation?s prosperity is not too much to ask.Je Vorberger is Vice President of , Intergovernmental & Political A airs, National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). NOIA is a national trade association representing all segments of the o shore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nations outer continental shelf. MN 19www.marinelink.com MN Jan2013 Layout 18-31.indd 19MN Jan2013 Layout 18-31.indd 191/4/2013 5:19:39 PM1/4/2013 5:19:39 PM