The Big Picture on the Radio: Former Shell Oil Exec. Says Partisan Politics at Root of Energy Crisis

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Just-Retired Shell Oil Pres. Hofmeister Blasts Partisan Politics; Says It’s at the Root of US Energy Crisis Woes--Skeptical of T. Boone Pickens' Ideas Citing Hidden, Unknown Costs and Lack of Infrastructure

Former Oil Exec. Says While He's Now Working for Non-Profit Solutions, Pickens' Approach Could Spell Big $$ for Himself During Friday Interview on ETV's "The Big Picture on the Radio"

For Immediate Release
July 25, 2008

Columbia, SC…On Friday, John Hofmeister, who retired as president of Shell Oil on June 1, and who is the founder and CEO of the not-for-profit group Citizens for Affordable Energy explained what he calls the "politics of partisan paralysis" and why it is exacerbating America's energy crisis. He also offered his ideas for how America could pull itself out of the crisis, and comments on T. Boone Pickens' roadmap towards a solution.

His remarks were made during an interview with Mark Quinn, host of ETV's "The Big Picture on the Radio."

Hofmeister on the energy crisis and the "politics of partisan paralysis":

"I think it's actually getting worse in the short term, because we are in, as everybody knows, a political season and each party is trying to articulate it's point of view to the detriment of the other party. And that's what I mean by the "politics of partisan paralysis." Whether it's between the two branches of government, executive and legislative branch, or whether it's between the Republican and Democratic parties, each side is looking to gain its own advantage. But the people who suffer are the American people, and I think we should be rather frustrated about that."

"If the Congress supported the President's suggestion a week ago to lift the ban on offshore drilling, that would send a signal to the futures market that yes, the US is serious about fixing its problem. But the Congress has refused to take the President's proposal seriously so we're back to the politics of partisan paralysis."

As for T. Boone Pickens, the Texas oilman who has taken his message of how to solve the energy crisis directly to the American people in a veritable media blitz, Hofmeister had this to say:

"His natural gas proposal, which is to use compressed natural gas in automobiles, I think, probably is going to be very controversial because we don't have the infrastructure to make that possible. And he makes no projection as to what the cost of natural gas will be for the automobile usage, because I think it will be rather high. The natural gas supplies he points out in this country--yes, they're plentiful--but require an awful lot of drilling to get that natural gas to market. And of course I'm in favor of more drilling, as Americans for Affordable Energy is in favor of more drilling, particularly for the short-term. So we're in general agreement with T. Boone Pickens."

"The difference between T. Boone Pickens right now and myself is he stands to make a lot of money off of his wind farms idea, etc., and I've chosen the not-for-profit route because my purpose is to give back to the country, through a not-for-profit means, exactly the same kind of ideas that T. Boone Pickens has, and I don't have a financial incentive. And there's nothing wrong with him having a financial incentive, it's just that I've chosen to move from the business world into the not-for-profit world."

For his part, Hofmeister and the Citizens for Affordable Energy have a three-pronged approach to bringing about an end to the energy crisis, with short-term (five-10 years), medium-term (10-20 years) and long-term (25 plus years) solutions:

"In the short-term--and there will be some who disagree with me, but I think largely, broadly, the citizens of American will agree-- in the short term, because we have the infrastructure that we have, which is predicated on oil and gas and coal, we must produce more oil, gas and coal to meet the needs of the short term, or we end up with $150 a barrel. That's a ridiculous price; $125 is a ridiculous price. But because, for 30 years, the industry has been prohibited from developing oil and gas in areas where it's off limits, we've been entirely dependent on imports to grow our economy. So in the short term, five to 10 years, we must invest in more hydrocarbon energy supplies.

"In the medium term, now let's move towards biofuels. Let's move towards wind, solar. Because over the medium term, we can build the infrastructure that will produce more energy from wind, and more energy from solar, and from biofuels. And there's nothing wrong with that, except we can't deliver it in 5-10 years…

"And long-term we look at things like nuclear and… hydrogen-type fuel supplies. And so that's new technology, that's all new infrastructure and it will take dozens of years to try to get that kind of energy into the system."

South Carolina ETV is the state's public educational broadcasting network with 11 television and eight radio transmitters, and a multi-media educational system in more than 2,500 schools, colleges, businesses and government agencies. Using television, radio and the web, SCETV's mission is to enrich lives by educating children, informing and connecting citizens, celebrating our culture and environment and instilling the joy of learning.

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For more information, contact Rob Schaller at (803) 737-6556 or rschaller@scetv.org.