Gov. DuPont on Limiting Access to Our Own Resources

Congress, once again, had the opportunity to have an impact on America's highest-in-the-industrialized-world natural gas prices. Unfortunately, they once again failed to pass legislation which would codify a moratorium on off-shore drilling to a distance of 50 miles, while allowing states to choose whether they wish to explore their own coastlines after that point. Before America decided to become the only nation on Earth to restrict access to its own resources, we paid the lowest natural gas rates in the industrialized world. Now we pay the highest - while sitting on 420 trillion cubic feet of it. That pesky law of supply and demand just refuses to abide by Congressional efforts of repeal.

Today, former Delaware Gov. Pete du Pont uses his space in the Wall Street Journal to make the case for increasing energy production through oil and natural gas exploration, and for the addition of non-emission producing nuclear plants. As the current chair of the National Center for Policy Analysis explains,

[T]he Senate voted in June to mandate a reduction in projected future oil usage of 10 million barrels a day, or 35%, which, since our domestic oil production is declining, means less imports. In other words, Congress wants to block drilling for more American oil while at the same time blocking the importation of oil--not a rational energy policy.

On the other side of the coin is the need for more refineries to produce the oil products we need: gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and plastics. Twenty-five years ago we had 254 oil refineries; today there are just 145 (although they are a bit more productive) since we haven't built a new refinery in America for 30 years.

Then there is nuclear power, America's largest pollution-free source of energy. One hundred four nuclear plants supply about 20% of our electricity, and we could build many more. As President Bush pointed out two weeks ago, "Our country has not ordered a new nuclear power plant since the 1970s." He recommends that we build three new nuclear plants a year to meet our energy needs. But new nuclear plants have been continually opposed by the liberal establishment that now controls Congress.

All of this done without a way to address our present and future energy needs. As we have noted time and again, nuclear power, oil and natural gas may someday become obsolete. However, they all meet our present energy needs and nuclear power is the only option available which both produces significant energy and results in nearly zero emissions. Rather than hampering America's technological advancements in these areas, Congress should allow American industry to flourish. It may not make for flashy photo-ops, but it does keep the lights on.