Issue Position: Energy

Issue Position

Our economy depends on having a secure and affordable supply of fuel. We need to lower consumption and increase the supply of domestic energy.

Soaring energy prices are squeezing family budgets that are already tight from the failed policies of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. Washington has no real energy policy, other than the career politicians' attempt to pass a cap-and-trade plan that would substantially raise energy costs and result in countless job losses.

Debates in Washington are often limited to discussion on whether we should subsidize solar or ethanol and if we should prohibit the use of coal to generate electricity. Energy subsidies, as with all government "give away" programs, replace incentives to innovate with incentives to lobby. So long as we leave our energy policies to special interest consultants, we will continue to be energy dependent on foreign sources. We will continue to expend billions of defense dollars ensuring that foreign energy will remain available, and families will be forced to choose between paying for unaffordable gas or unaffordable electricity.

A real energy policy must…

-- Eliminate bureaucratic and legal regulations that act as an obstacle to responsible gas and oil development. Exploration and development of Arkansas' gas resources should go forward without interference from some government bureaucracy that must justify its existence.

-- Develop oil shale and offshore resources.

-- Change the Environmental Protection Agency from a job killing engine of higher energy prices to an agency that seeks solutions and works cooperatively with industry and local governments.

-- Transition to cleaner, more efficient energy as it becomes more practical and cost effective. Driving up energy costs to force a premature transition to alternative energy sources that remain expensive and inefficient is ineffective policy at its worst.

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