Two dozen ways to lift oil export ban, but oil chief won’t name them

Jack Gerard, president and CEO of the trade group, said Wednesday that momentum is building around lifting the oil export ban, particularly after the House voted to do so last week.

However, the White House has signaled that President Obama would likely veto legislation lifting the ban, and there is not enough bipartisan support in the House or Senate to make a straight bill veto proof.

Gerard was undeterred and said he expects the ban to be lifted by the end of the year. He said he’s identified 20 to 30 pathways to getting that done, but when pressed by reporters on a media call he refused to identify them.

The only potential path to passage Gerard mentioned was a straight bill on the export ban. While some in the Senate have speculated there are enough votes to pass the bill, Democrats have signaled they would block it.

He called a possible deal that would lift the oil export ban but increase tax credits for renewable energy “speculation.”

“We’re talking about speculation,” Gerard said. “Until we see something, it’s premature to even comment on it.”

Momentum on repealing the 40-year-old ban picked up after the terms of the Iran nuclear deal were announced. Many supporters believe the United States should be allowed to export its oil if Iran is able to.

Federal agencies have issued conflicting reports about the impact of repealing the ban. The Energy Information Agency, the independent analysis arm of the Department of Energy, reported gasoline prices would drop, while the Congressional Budget Office said it would increase the cost of oil at the well.

Gerard argued that repealing the ban would create jobs and save consumers billions of dollars.

At this point, Gerard is counting on public pressure on elected officials.

“I would suggest momentum continue to grow and it would grow even more as the public and the voters become engaged in the conversation,” he said.