Terry Everett, April 25, 2005

For the fourth time in three years, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to update America's obsolete and inadequate national energy policy. If the House-passed bill is finally adopted by the Senate (it failed in the three previous attempts) the door will be open to resources and incentives to expand America's energy choices and reliability.

The recent sharp rise in gasoline prices is a painful symptom of America's dependence upon foreign oil. While the international supply of crude might not be dwindling, world demand for it is at record levels. Principally, the exploding Chinese and Indian economies are tightening global energy access. The United States uses one quarter of the planet's oil and, as such, is in direct competition with these nations for scarce resources. Oil exporting countries are ratcheting up production in an effort to keep pace with demand, but the effect in lowering pump prices has only been minimal.

While America's pain at the pump is not new - we have seen similar price rises over the last decade - the current spike in energy costs is likely to remain with us unless the nation takes steps to ease foreign oil dependence. Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 249 to 183 to pass the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (HR 6). The need to update our nation's approach to energy development and production has been apparent for years and the U.S. House has three times before pushed for such change only to be blocked by partisanship in the closely divided U.S. Senate. It is hoped this time that the current pinch at the pumps will force Senators to finally agree to pass the needed legislation.

The Energy Policy Act tackles our nation's energy supply and use on a number of fronts. For starters, to reduce fuel consumption, the Act would permanently extend daylight savings time by two months, from the first Sunday in March to the last Sunday in November. This action is expected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs. The House-passed energy bill would also authorize the Department of the Interior to grant leases for environmentally responsible oil and gas exploration, development, and production in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to expand America's access to domestic energy sources.

To spur further development of domestic energy such as oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear power and electricity transmission, the legislation provides tax incentives to energy companies who pursue these areas. It seeks to strengthen America's electrical power grid to avoid a repeat of recent blackouts and would promote clean coal technology and renewable energy like biomass, wind, solar, and hydroelectricity.

Current high gasoline prices are already prompting many Americans to buy new hybrid power vehicles to lower fuel costs. The energy bill creates Federal grants to promote the development of more hybrid vehicle technology, including pilot programs for hybrid, hydrogen-fuel-cell or alternative-fuel city and school buses. The House energy bill also authorizes President Bush's plan to fund research and development for hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles for public use.

For sure, the need to enact a modern national energy strategy goes beyond reducing gasoline and other energy costs for consumers. It is a long-term protective measure for the American economy. All business is impacted in one way or another by rising fuel prices - be they airlines, commercial transport, agriculture, and the corner grocery. We are all affected, most notably in our wallets. There is no good reason to delay passage of a national energy policy in a world where America must struggle for its share of limited fuel resources.

Congressman Terry Everett, a Republican, represents Alabama's Second Congressional District, which includes the state capitol, Montgomery.