“Looking for someone to blame for the high cost of gasoline?  It shouldn’t be hard to find as there is plenty of blame to go around.  Addressing this problem requires a commitment to achieving a long-term energy solution, something both Republicans and Democrats have been unwilling to make.  As a result, Americans are faced with record high gas prices and uncertainty in the future. 

“For decades, Democrats have refused to look at realistic domestic sources of energy, forcing our nation into a dangerous dependence on foreign oil.  They have promoted a policy of inaction, leading us away from energy independence instead of toward it and leaving our own domestic sources of energy untapped when we need them most.

“They claim their policies will protect the environment, but in fact, the Democrats’ policy of continued consumption without domestic production shifts production overseas where environmental standards and safeguards are far weaker then our own.

“To be certain, Republicans deserve their fair share of criticism for the problems we see today.  For years Republicans have been far too reluctant to invest in alternative and renewable sources of energy that could help wean us off Middle East oil.

“Regrettably, Republicans have been too slow to act on innovative technologies, too quick to defend oil companies, and too patient with our allies in the Middle East who seemingly have control of our economy.  It’s time Republicans recognize these faults and do their part to find common ground on an energy plan that, for the first time in three decades, actually works.

“Of course, the real issue at hand is not just who deserves blame, but how we fix the problem.  Options we should undertake right now include:

· Immediately allowing greater, environmentally-responsible exploration and development of our own domestic sources of oil and natural gas.

· Investing significant resources in renewable and alternative sources of energy, including cellulosic ethanol, hydrogen, fuel cells, electric and hybrid vehicles, coal gasification, oil shale, and a variety of other promising technologies.  Our nation established the Manhattan Project during World War II for the creation of the atomic bomb.  Today, I believe we need another Manhattan Project focused on complete energy independence for our nation in a greatly accelerated time frame.

· Implementing more aggressive government oversight of oil and gas companies and consider changes in their tax treatments to move their huge profits into alternative energy development.

· Limiting the amount of oil we put into the strategic oil reserves when oil prices are high and target potential releases from the reserves to the agriculture and trucking sectors of our economy.

· Advancing new nuclear energy technologies, which would not only produce electricity but could provide the heat necessary to produce hydrogen, convert coal to gasoline, and exploit our domestic oil shale reserves.

· Fundamentally changing the way we consume energy.  We need to get American consumers good information about their energy usage and find ways to both encourage, and incentivize, smarter energy use.  In fact, reduced consumption may be the best short-term answer to bringing prices down.

“Einstein famously defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  That aptly describes America’s energy policy over the past three decades.  Achieving energy independence will require bold moves and bipartisan commitment, and finding agreement on even a few of these suggestions would be a step in the right direction.  It’s time to stop pointing fingers and work together to bring real, effective relief to our nation’s energy consumers.”