WATCHING WASHINGTON DRAFTING THE NES

With Patrick Crow The Department of Energy is discovering that drafting a comprehensive National Energy Strategy is a formidable chore. DOE's timetable for the NES, envisioned as a roadmap for future energy policymaking, has slipped a bit in the past year, and the really tough decisions now have been reserved for President Bush. DOE originally planned to release an interim draft this month but replaced it with a benign compilation of public comments.