Six coastal governors have called on Washington to open up more waters to offshore drilling and to make permitting a quicker, more efficient process.
The governors of Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Alaska spoke Monday at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. Officials from Louisiana and Virginia also spoke.
They say a federal moratorium on offshore drilling after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and permitting requirements put in place after that, have made it difficult for companies to develop resources.
The governors say more drilling would create jobs, strengthen the nation's economy and lower gas prices.
North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia want the federal government to allow drilling in their coastal waters, currently banned as environmental and regulatory reviews are conducted.
