Our goal must be energy independence.  An “all of the above” energy strategy, which expands renewable energy sources and supports conservation while freeing up our domestic energy reserves, is the best way to achieve that goal.  A future drawing more from renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro, and biomass is desirable to the extent they prove viable and do not rely on wasteful expenditures of taxpayer money.  Our economy and national security depend on the next Congress pursuing a sensible energy policy that will allow the energy sector to increase supply, lower prices, and create jobs.

We must end the crony capitalism that has hamstrung the cultivation of America’s natural resources while lining the pockets of political insiders.  80% of the Energy Department’s government-backed loan money, for instance, was reported to have gone to companies either run or primarily owned by President Obama’s financial backers.  The defunct Solyndra and staggeringly unsuccessful Chevy Volt cost the taxpayers dearly.  

At the same time, we must stop hampering technological breakthroughs in the private sector that can put our nation on the path to energy independence.  Among the many viable projects that are being inexplicably delayed and which I support are:

• The Keystone Pipeline, which has now been delayed over four years.  The Pipeline will create tens of thousands of jobs, stimulate the economy, and lower gas prices.
• Drilling in a small area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) totaling a mere 1.5 of ANWR’s 19 million acres.  This has the potential to produce billions of barrels of recoverable oil by way of environmentally sensitive technology.  This initiative has bipartisan support in Alaska and would help Nassau County along with so many others across the nation.
• Fracking technology enables us to safely extract natural gas and oil from shale that could not be tapped before.  It offers one of the most encouraging paths to reducing dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Besides fostering energy independence, such developments would stimulate the economy by creating jobs and substantially reducing our energy bills, which are exceedingly high in Nassau County.  Further, I will oppose any form of “Cap-and-Trade” legislation, which would impose a crippling and environmentally ineffective energy tax program that would hurt Nassau County families and businesses.