Issue Position: Gas Prices and Energy Policy

Issue Position

Issue Position: Gas Prices and Energy Policy

Patrick McHenry has outlined a plan for a new American energy policy that is balanced between conserving energy, investing in alternative energy sources, and drilling for America's abundant energy resources. One day, America will be powered by alternative energy - and Congressman McHenry is working to make that happen - but until then, we must drill for American oil and natural gas to power the American economy and bring down gas prices.

The inter-mountain west of the United States is home to the world's largest deposits of oil shale. Oil shale is sedimentary rock that over the course of millions of years would geologically mature into common crude oil. Scientists have developed a process that heats the rock, speeding up the geological process and converting the rock to oil in a few short years. America's reserves of oil shale are larger than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela, Iraq, Mexico and Russia combined.

Patrick McHenry's plan would invest the flood of new revenue from drilling into the development and practical applications of alternatives energy sources like solar, wind, nuclear and hydroelectric. This approach would lower gas prices in the short run and make America energy independent in the long run. A comprehensive energy policy of this type would create millions of new jobs in the energy sector.

Source