For far too long, Washington has stalled development of our nation’s abundant energy resources. Families and businesses in Utah and across the country feel the impact of this delay every day through skyrocketing energy costs. Keeping energy costs down is critical to our nation’s economic health and to the prosperity of Utah families and businesses. 

A simple way to accomplish the goal of low energy costs is to expand access to American energy resources.  This American investment would end our dependence on dangerous parts of the world to fuel our nation.  Unfortunately, Washington hamstrings the development of our own domestic reserves, especially throughout the Mountain West.  In Utah, the federal government not only owns over 70 percent of the land, but has blocked any attempt to recover these lands’ abundant energy resources. 

Our energy policy should be based on the simple idea of “find more, use less.”  Let’s find and access American energy throughout Utah and the United States, including on federally-controlled lands in Utah and Alaska, and offshore.  Increasing energy supply does not just mean oil, but also coal, natural gas, shale, tar sands, nuclear, and other forms of energy.  Let’s encourage people to use less through common-sense conservation and improved technology.  This is how we’ll move our economy forward and secure energy independence.