National Energy Plan Needs to Put Consumers First

National Energy Plan Needs to Put Consumers First; NCPA E-Team Scholars Say Plan Needs to Be Energy-Neutral

DALLAS, April 7, , 2005 -- U.S. Newswire

Contentious debate is expected to begin later this month in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on a long-delayed national energy bill, and scholars with the NCPA's E-Team project say the bill needs to focus on taxpayers.

"Congress needs to act during this term," said NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett. "And Congress needs to pass a bill that puts consumers and taxpayers first."

Noting that estimates indicate oil consumption in the U.S. will increase by one-third and electricity demand by more than 45 percent by 2025, Dr. Burnett said America must have a comprehensive national energy bill that includes several critical policies:

End all energy subsidies and implement an energy-neutral policy. This should please conservatives who decry tax breaks for what they consider to be wasteful spending on renewable energy boondoggles and environmentalists who claim that the fossil fuel industry gets unmerited subsidies.

Remove federal, state and local barriers to interstate and intrastate oil, gas and electricity infrastructure expansions. This includes pipelines, natural gas receiving and oil refinery facilities, and transmission lines.

Repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act, stripping away layers of regulation that are 40 years out of date. The nation's electricity grid is inadequate, steadily falling behind increases in electrical load.

Increase domestic energy production even beyond the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Abundant oil reserves and natural gas fields are located under public lands or offshore.

"A sound energy policy will encourage conservation without mandating specific technologies and will not bias consumers toward government-favored energy sources," Dr. Burnett added. "No bill would be better than a bill filled with mandates and subsidies."

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