National Energy Plan
...energy consumption and the environment have always seemed at odds with one another. Is it possible that the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge could be opened to oil exploration without adverse effects to the environment? I believe it can.¡¨
Q.) What type of National Energy Policy do we have here?
A.) Years of misguided federal and state environmental policies have raised the cost of production, failed to improve our nation's aging infrastructure, and dangerously increased America's dependence on unreliable foreign sources. The result: rising consumer utility bills, rapidly increasing gasoline prices, and rolling blackouts and brownouts.
A fundamental imbalance between supply and demand defines our nation¡¦s energy crisis if energy production increases at the same rate as during the last decade our projected energy needs will far outstrip expected levels of production.
Q.) What is the current legislation?
A.) In early 2001, President Bush unveiled his National Energy Policy Report and I feel that was a step in the right direction. It recommends environmentally sound changes to increase domestic supply, improve delivery, reform counterproductive regulations, and encourage energy diversity. Although more should be done to ensure that any new policies adhere to free-market principles, the plan provides a blueprint for reform.
More recently, the Energy Conservation, Research, and Development Act of 2003 passed the House of Representatives 246-180. It goal is to conduct a balanced, long-term research effort in the areas of Buildings, Industry, FreedomCAR and Vehicle Technologies and Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure. Grants will be offered to develop and transfer various energy conservation technologies to the nonfederal sector.
Some examples of funded projects Grants have been awarded to perform: (1) Research on high performance heat pumps;...
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