Energy

America is currently facing an energy crisis that threatens both our economic and national security. Increasing demand for oil and natural gas has driven energy prices through the roof and strained our family budgets.

While Americans struggle with the rising cost of living and working, the U.S. is becoming increasingly dependent on oil from foreign nations, some of which are openly anti-American. This dependence on hostile oil regimes represents a significant threat to national security.

Oklahoma can play a large role in moving us towards a more secure future. Addressing the current crisis will not be easy, but I believe I have outlined a clear path to a sustainable domestic energy supply.

In the short term, we must immediately increase domestic energy production as well as our capacity to refine oil. Creating incentives (and removing disincentives) for energy exploration will help drive down gasoline prices, reduce our unhealthy dependence on foreign energy and improve the state of the American economy. Oklahoma is a state rich in oil and natural gas, and we will continue to play a large role in supplying the U.S. with traditional fossil fuels.

In the long term, the federal government must continue to reward innovation as it relates to alternative energy. American businesses employ the most talented professionals in the world. By providing incentives for the research and production of alternative energies, the federal government can support the ingenuity of private enterprise and help lead the nation towards a future of cleaner, renewable energy.

As we move toward's that future, Oklahoma will continue to play a leading role in energy production. Bifuels like ethanol and switch-grass are both produced within our borders. Oklahoma also has enormous potential as a provider of wind and solar power. If we invest in Oklahoma's future today, we can ensure that our sons and daughters inherit a state that remains on the forefront of American energy production.