In exchange for what?

IN EXCHANGE FOR WHAT?…. That the Obama administration would agree to open offshore areas to oil drilling is not exactly shocking. President Obama expressed a willingness to incorporate this into a larger energy policy during the campaign, and he alluded to “opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development” during the State of the Union. It’s not like this policy is a shift or coming out of nowhere.

I am interested, though, in what the administration may get in the way of concessions after agreeing to such a move.





Under any scenario, actual drilling is still years away, and it’s unclear how many East coast states, if any, will raise objections.

But I’m especially interested in the larger political dynamic. As I understand it, the plan the White House has supported for months includes a give and take on energy — Republicans would get the drilling and nuclear advances, while Democrats would get cap-and-trade. There are plenty of related details, but in general, this would serve as the basis for a grand, comprehensive bargain on energy.

My confusion, then, is over the administration’s negotiating tactics. In February, the president cleared the way for the first new U.S. nuclear power plants in more than 30 years. Today, the president will reportedly open up new opportunities for coastal drilling.

In other words, Obama has already effectively given Republicans what they wanted on energy. What is he getting in return?

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