Energy

Our nation needs a coherent policy that promotes domestic production of energy, which will create jobs, decrease our reliance on foreign oil and strengthen economic stability. For the last four years, this administration has stifled the domestic production of oil and natural gas, especially on public lands where vast reserves are known to exist. Furthermore, the forced reliance on less-reliable and more expensive renewable power has contributed to a lack of resources. The economically damaging and excessively high gasoline prices our nation faces are one outcome of these misguided policies.

Unfortunately, the intentional hindering of domestic energy production has resulted in gasoline prices that regularly push toward five dollars a gallon in my home state of California. Astronomically high fuel prices have a direct impact on household budgets, the ability of small businesses to operate and our general economic well-being.

I believe that these common-sense solutions will move our nation toward a more stable economy, increase our energy supply and lower costs for households and employers:

Increase domestic production in an environmentally-safe way: 

• Expand exploration of natural gas, oil, and coal by removing restrictions and opening new land.
• Promote clean coal-to-liquid and remove outdated regulations restricting access to our vast oil shale reserves, which contain enough energy to power the nation for decades, if not longer. 
• Use new domestic production to reduce foreign imports (often from those unfriendly to America) and reduce the price at the pump. The Keystone pipeline should be a significant piece of our energy supply system. 

Develop new, clean, and reliable sources of power:

• Clean-burning natural gas can provide a vast amount of our nation's energy needs. Development of clean natural gas facilities should be a strong priority.
• Hydroelectric power is the cheapest, most reliable and cleanest power available. California's biased regulations do not consider hydroelectric power to be renewable, forcing reliance on more expensive sources.
• I support wind, solar, biomass and geothermal where and when cost competitive, but we must not force reliance on technologies that cannot replace our existing sources.

Cut red tape and increase supply:

• Expedite the energy production permitting process. Drawing out permitting over years drastically drives up costs and decreases incentives to invest in American production. 
• Our nation needs to consider nuclear power as a part of its energy portfolio.
• Improve environmental review so that it cannot be used as a roadblock by obstructionists opposed to virtually all new development.

For more information concerning my work and views on Energy issues, please contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.