Energy

Rising gasoline prices impact our schools, hospitals, small businesses and family budgets.  As costs fluctuate at the pump, it has become clear the United States is too dependent on foreign crude oil. This dependency not only jeopardizes our economy, it threatens our national security, too. More than half of our energy needs come from foreign sources, and we often rely on politically unstable – and sometimes unfriendly – nations for our crude oil.

It is time for America to gain greater energy independence.  The solution is two-fold: increase the supply of domestically produced oil while also developing and utilizing alternative forms of energy.  

Congress took an important step toward addressing our energy problems when we passed a National Energy Policy in 2005. Our new energy policy will standardize fuel formulas, allow more organic additives, and provide tax incentives for the construction of additional refineries here in America.

I also support drilling in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).  According to the Department of the Interior, ANWR oil could supply Georgia’s energy needs for more than 50 years.  By drilling under the most stringent environmental standards ever applied to a federal project, we can deliver an additional 1.5 million barrels of oil a day - an amount nearly equal to what we import daily from Saudi Arabia.

We must also examine the numerous foreign and domestic issues that are keeping gas prices high. These include state and federal excise taxes on gasoline; an increased demand for oil in South East Asia; the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) production quotas; restrictions on domestic exploration; and regionally fragmented air quality formulas.

I will continue supporting energy policies that encourage efficiency, promote renewable energy and, most importantly, develop a path for America to become less reliant on foreign sources of oil.