The following is a column by Rep. Geoff Davis (KY - 4).

Our nation’s energy crisis has resulted primarily from one fundamental economic concept: supply and demand.  Over the past three decades, we have ignored repeated warnings that our energy supply would not always be reliable and affordable.  Instead, we have allowed partisan paralysis to hinder efforts to increase and diversify our domestic supply of energy.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global demand for oil in 2007 was 86 million barrels a day, while the global supply of oil was 85.5 million barrels.  The IEA also estimates that the world’s primary energy needs will more than double by 2030.  We must implement a comprehensive strategy that will promote responsible development of our domestic energy resources while actively exploring alternative fuels and investing in research for future fuel technologies. 

Many in the House and Senate have proposed legislation that outline a variety of solutions to increase our fuel supplies and lower gas prices for the American people.  Unfortunately, Congress remains at a standstill as the Leadership continues to push legislation that creates headlines instead of additional energy.  Last week, they reincarnated the redundant “Use It or Lose It” bill (H.R. 6251) in H.R. 6515, The Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008.

However, just like the original “Use It or Lose It” bill, H.R. 6515 does not adequately address increased supply and is already the law of the land.  Oil and gas producers already operate under strict regulations and time limits for their leases; if the leased territory contains significant oil or gas reserves that are not being extracted, the lease will be canceled.  Instead of expediting Americans’ access to their domestic resources, the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008 would increase the red-tape surrounding energy exploration. 

Additionally, the new bill includes language to “speed up” development of the energy resources in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve (NPR-A), a 24 million acre area in the Alaska North Slope that the U.S. Geological Service estimates could produce 10.6 billion barrels of oil.  However, NPR-A has been open for exploration since 1999; this legislation merely increases the number of lease opportunities.

NPR-A’s oil is spread thinly across the region, so production is inefficient, difficult and expensive.  Each acre in NPR-A contains an average of 440 barrels of oil.  By way of comparison, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) could produce between 10 and 16 billion barrels of oil, with each acre yielding an average of 5,475 barrels.

If we plan to solve our nation’s energy crisis in a timely and efficient manner, we must explore all our options, from ANWR to hydrogen fuel to nuclear power.  As demand for energy continues to outpace supply, it is past time to implement real solutions for the American people.  We must unite and surpass partisan politics to develop a comprehensive energy strategy that will efficiently use our domestic resources in the short term while laying the groundwork to make alternative energy sources clean, safe and affordable for the future. 

• Yarmuth’s Position On Drilling
• Northup Says "American Oil Now!"
• Hurricane On Yarmuth Email Blast
• Thanks Mitch!
• Guthrie Continues To Pound Boswell