More Senate bills of note:

S.B. 266: No Sex Offenders on Juries, Sen. Tony Rand

S.B. 272: Defense of Marriage, Sen. James Forrester 

S.B. 290: No Federal Stimulus Money for Illegal Aliens, Sen. Forrester

S.B. 305: Incentives for Energy Conservation, Sen. Dan Clodfelter

S.B. 307: Regulate Ownership & Use of Certain Reptiles, Sen. Ed Jones

Americans for Prosperity, a limited-government advocacy group, is airing a radio ad praising U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's record on energy.

What it says: The ad begins with sounds of traffic. Two narrators, male and female, discuss high gas prices: "You've seen the bad news. We're pushing $4 a gallon and these skyrocketing prices are hammering North Carolina families. It's time for bold action, yet Congress hasn't lifted a finger." Light guitar music then plays. "But North Carolina is lucky. We have a senator who's leading the fight to lower energy prices, Elizabeth Dole. Senator Dole has a real plan to lower gas prices. It's called the Gas Price Reduction Act. The United States is home to a vast supply of oil, estimated at over 2 trillion barrels. The Dole plan lifts the ban on offshore exploration and oil shale development and continues to promote conservation. Senator Dole understands increasing production here at home means jobs for hard-working North Carolinians. Senator Dole has shown real leadership on the energy issue at a time when North Carolina families need it most. Call Senator Elizabeth Dole today at 919-856-4630 and tell her thanks for all she's doing to lower gas prices. Paid for by Americans for Prosperity, which is responsible for the content of this advertising and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. On the Web at AmericansforProsperity.com."

The background: In late June, a group of Republican senators introduced a bill called the Gas Price Reduction Act.

The legislation, which mirrors several aspects of Republican presidential candidate John McCain's energy plan, would lift a Congressional ban on offshore drilling, promote oil shale drilling in three Western states, strengthen regulation of oil futures trading and make loans and grants to battery makers.

In a statement announcing her cosponsorship of the bill, Dole stressed that it would leave the decision on offshore drilling up to the state.

In a 2005 report, the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit think tank, estimated that a giant untapped oil shale deposit in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming could hold between 1.5 and 1.8 trillion barrels of oil, of which roughly 800 billion barrels could be recovered.

Neither offshore drilling or oil shale would increase the oil supply for a number of years, although supporters say that by expanding the potential supply they could affect current market prices, which are based in part on future supply.

The Energy Information Administration said in a report last year that offshore drilling would not increase the oil supply until 2017, while the RAND report projected that technical problems would prevent oil shale from producing a significant amount of oil for at least 20 years.

Offshore drilling in North Carolina could lead to jobs on oil rigs, building and maintaining pipelines and shipping, although it's not clear yet whether the oil would be processed here or elsewhere. Oil shale drilling would not directly lead to new jobs in this state.

The bill includes hundreds of millions of dollars in loans and grants to promote the development of new batteries for hybrid and plug-in vehicles.

It also directs a percentage of the federal revenue be used for land and water conservation and mitigation of affected wildlife areas.

Is it accurate? The ad is generally accurate, but it makes two claims that are misleading. The United States may have as much as 2 trillion barrels of oil, but not all of it is usable. The bill could lead to better hybrid cars, but it does not exactly promote energy conservation. Most listeners would not think the ad was referring to land and water conservation.

Does the Gas Price Reduction Act promote conservation?

In a radio ad airing this week, the small-government group Americans for Prosperity praises U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole for cosponsoring a bill to lift a ban on offshore oil exploration. It says the bill "continues to promote conservation."

The bill would allow offshore drilling, oil shale drilling in three Western states, better regulation of oil futures trading and loans for battery makers. 

Americans for Prosperity spokesman Dallas Woodhouse noted that the bill calls for a percentage of the revenue from offshore drilling to go to the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The fund was created by Congress in 1965 to use money from offshore oil and gas leases to buy land for state open space projects and to expand national parks and forests.

The bill also calls for states permitting offshore drilling to receive a percentage of the federal revenue to spend on projects mitigating damage to marine and wildlife areas. 

In the context of the ad, "conservation" could also be taken to mean energy conservation.

To that end, Woodhouse noted that the ad directs the U.S. Department of Energy to spend $100 million and make $250 million in loans to promote battery research for plug-in and hybrid vehicles.

Legislators have yet to publicly debate water conservation.

Just months after the worst recorded drought in state history, state lawmakers have not yet discussed some of Gov. Mike Easley's proposed solutions, including giving the state a greater role in local conservation efforts.

Cities, towns and farm interests have protested some of the measures, while private companies have asked for change.

Rep. Lucy Allen, a Democratic cochairwoman of the House committee handling the bill, tamped down expectations for major changes this year. She said some parts of the legislation will be addressed in a study of the state's water resources due by 2010.

"I don't know how much we can accomplish," she said, other than to "identify what can be the low-hanging fruit first."

Environmentalists worry that if action isn't taken when memories of the drought are fresh, it may never be taken at all. (N&O) 

Richard Moore unveiled an energy plan today.

The Democratic gubernatorial candidate called for promoting alternative fuels and energy sources, the state government more efficient and improve mass transit.

To promote alternative energy, Moore called for making the state government a leading consumer of alternative fuels, reforming utility rates to encourage conservation, encouraging research and condcuting long-range planning on energy generation.

He also said he would improve the energy efficiency of state buildings.

"The time to begin planning for a cleaner energy future is now," he said in a statement. "We can become a national leader in conservation and alternative energy, creating new businesses and an agricultural model that will ensure the prosperity of rural North Carolina for years to come."

Previously: Moore convenes global warming panel.

The cost of preserving land in North Carolina nearly tripled in 10 years.

According to a study released today by Land for Tomorrow, the price of conservation lands jumped from $699 to $2,691 per acre from 1996 to 2005 — a 285 percent increase.

The analysis was based on data from the State Property Office on conservation purchases.

Kate Dixon, executive director of the Durham nonprofit, said the study shows the need for the state to spend on conservation now, before land is developed and prices rise.

"Waiting will only mean higher prices and lost opportunities," she said in a statement.

Land for Tomorrow has called for the state to spend $1 billion over the next five years. It is also a member of the Partnership for N.C.'s Future coalition.

A new ad campaign calls for higher taxes, but not in so many words.

Television spots for the Partnership for North Carolina's Future note that the state is undergoing a population boom that is causing congestion and sprawl and draining natural resources.

It ends with this vague call to action:

"Contact your legislators now. Urge them to make needed investments in North Carolina's future before it's too late."

The group's Web site is more specific. It calls for giving more counties the option to tax real estate sales; spending $4.2 billion on bonds for schools, conservation, clean water and affordable housing; and increasing a highway use tax.

The partnership includes state associations for school boards, county commissioners and city leaders; advocates for affordable housing and land conservation; and a lobbying group for transportation.