Paula Dittrick
OGJ Senior Staff Writer
GREENWICH, CONN., Sept. 23 -- John Hofmeister, former president of Shell Oil Co., wants the US to come up with a comprehensive approach to energy and the environment rather than using one that’s politically driven.
Speaking on Sept. 22 at the IHS Herold Pacesetters Energy Conference in Greenwich, Conn., Hofmeister called for the implementation of an independent regulatory agency for energy policy. He envisions something similar to what the Federal Reserve has been for banking.
He suggests a federal energy resources board that would have its own rules, its own funding, and an appointment process independent of election cycles.
“If we fail to take the politics out of energy, we are going to zig-zag our way into the future,” Hofmeister said. “Energy is too important to leave to everyday politics.”
He noted that eight presidents and 18 Congresses have promoted US energy independence while oil imports have continued to grow in the last 35 years.
“We have yet to get a grip on what it means to be a modern country regarding energy and environment,” he said.
Currently, Hofmeister is founder and chief executive officer of Citizens for Affordable Energy, a grassroots organization seeking to educate the public about energy.
Contact Paula Dittrick at [email protected].