Issue Position: Producing Our Own Energy Future

Issue Position

Streamline Approval for New Energy Production
America can and should produce more oil right here at home. There is no reason drilling cannot be
safely conducted in the Gulf, across the states and in Alaska.

The current Administration is pursuing regulations that will hinder domestic energy development and
cost thousands of jobs. Regulations and approvals for new wells and pipelines need to be streamlined
and directed to "move at the speed of business."

The federal government's commitment to safety and the environment must no longer be distorted into a
prohibition against American energy security. President Reagan created a mechanism for the swift
resolution of regulatory delays without sacrificing safety concerns. The same must be duplicated again.

Break Down Barriers Blocking the Full and Safe Deployment of Fracking
A new technique for recovering previously inaccessible gas -- combining hydraulic fracturing
("fracking") with high-technology horizontal drilling -- has the potential to increase America's domestic
production by 25 percent.

Critics are attacking fracking, but the practice has been used on more than one million currently
producing wells -- more than 35,000 per year -- using a technology that has been perfected over 60 years.
Because of fracking, the United States surpassed Russia as the world's leading producer of natural gas.



Federal guidelines regulating its application need to recognize the economic benefits and value of
enhancing America's energy independence, while also weighing environmental concerns.

Embrace Emerging Technologies Like Coal-to-Liquid Fuel
Coal is one of America's most abundant energy resources and the mainstay of many communities.
America has enough coal reserves to supply us for 300 years at current consumption. Yet in recent
years, government regulations and litigation have attacked coal from every possible angle, destroying
critical jobs and closing access to this critical domestic energy source.
Converting coal into a liquid fuel will alleviate our dependence on foreign oil while maintaining jobs
and local economies, but this technology is not yet deployed. We must eliminate barriers to its full
deployment.

Look North
Our dependence on foreign oil didn't develop overnight, and it won't end overnight. As a bridge, we
must look north to Canada.

America imports twice as much oil from Canada as we do from Saudi Arabia, and our northern neighbor
is increasing production every day. There are 170 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Alberta's oil sands
deposits -- more reserves than in all of Iraq.

However, lawsuits and legislation in the United States are attempting to block access to this resource
from our neighbor and friend.

Others see the potential in these fields. China wants to invest in Canada's oil infrastructure. Meanwhile,
the United States government is dithering over a pipeline's proposal to ship Canadian oil to the United
States.

The federal government needs to assure Canada that American consumers are ready and willing to
purchase the production of Alberta's oil sands. Every barrel from a friend is one less from a foe.

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