(EMERALD ISLE) -- Last month Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced a plan to make the nation energy independent by 2020 and his plan would include offshore drilling for oil in the Carolinas and Virginia.  Residents along the North Carolina coast have mixed feelings about the proposal.

One man said offshore oil rigs often create better fisheries. "It seems they increase the fisheries because they provide structure for the fish to gather around.  It always seems to enhance the fisheries, from what I've seen."

But this coastal resident said the risks far out weigh the benefits. "It's not a question of if the disaster will happen but it's when."

The Republican controlled state legislature wants more drilling off the coast as part of a compact with other states.