The President's energy policy as presented to Congress and the nation contained many recommendations. Long before any mention of oil and gas in this report, Vice-Pres. Cheney said, "For the electricity we need, we must be ambitious. Transmission grids stand in need of repair, upgrading, and expansion. If we put these connections in place, we will go a long way toward avoiding future blackouts."
Of all people, a congressman from California, Rep. Henry Waxman with other Democrats, has pressured the General Accounting Office, to issue a demand letter giving the Vice-President 20 days to disclose the people interviewed for this energy policy. It is assumed that the Democrats are trying to make political points if they can tie the administration to oil companies.
Vice-Pres. Cheney has every right to consult with the best exploration, engineering, and operational technology in the world. It is used in the Gulf of Mexico, the North Sea, and the other sensitive areas of the world. It should have been allowed to develop the 36 federal leases offshore Santa Barbara County, California, where development has been delayed for more than 20 years.
These leases are estimated to contain over 1 billion bbl of oil and 900 bcf of gas. If production had been allowed and gas-fired generators had been in place, California would not have had any energy problem.
During the past winter, California faced blackouts and high energy costs which was a hardship for millions of people. The other 49 states don't want California's energy problems. They want an energy policy as outlined by President Bush, "to ensure a steady supply of affordable energy for homes, businesses, and industries."
The "oil weapon" was used against us in 1973 when we were importing only 900,000 b/d from the Persian Gulf. It was devastating for our consumers and our economy. Today our imports from the Gulf are 2.5 million b/d, which means we have been living on the edge of a national disaster.
It is time for Congress to get serious about energy legislation and put the national interests first. Energy politics in Washington have been very costly for the American people.
Doyle T. Grogan
Denver
