Issue Position: Real Energy Independence

Issue Position

Tired of High Gas Prices? So is Jim Gerlach!

Jim Gerlach Has a Reasonable Plan to Reduce Gas Prices and Break Our Dependency on Foreign Oil.

"We cannot allow our national energy policy to be dictated by extremists in the Middle East and South America. We need a National Energy Initiative to become energy independent by increasing our own domestic capacity and exploring new alternative energies."

Short-Term Solutions

* Increase our domestic oil capacity, including safe off-shore drilling for both oil and natural gas in US waters which we can do immediately, to help reduce the price of gas.
* Streamline the oil refinery permit process to increase the number of refineries and thereby increase the supply of gasoline. Not one refinery has been built in the U.S. in the last 30 years due to government red tape.
* Conserve gasoline by ensuring new automobile fuel efficiency standards are met (from 25 to 35 mpg).
* Increase share of nation's electricity generated by nuclear power and address fuel waste by permitting fuel recycling.
* Restrict daily oil deposits into the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve

Long-Term Solutions

* Balance our entire national energy portfolio to utilize renewable sources of alternative energy such as wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and hydro power, as well as non-corn based biofuels that do not jeopardize food prices.
* With coal as our most abundant and cheapest domestic energy resource, develop and implement clean coal technology that is environmentally friendly.
* Strengthen the US dollar, which is at one of its lowest levels in American history and is fueling higher gas prices.
* Promote green construction and conservation efforts with commonsense proposals that create jobs and reduce the need for energy. One interesting local initiative includes nanotechnology to reduce solar heat on office buildings, which reduces the need for energy to keep it cool.

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