Boyda Touted Energy Bill Falls Short

Many of you have probably read how Nancy Boyda has gone around the district saying the Democrat-passed energy bill is good for Kansas.

Yes, expanding alternative sources of fuel like ethanol would be good for Kansas.

But, this Democrat bill has nothing to do with the short and medium range energy needs of our country. Since Nancy Boyda likes to say we need to have realistic conversations, here's one she needs to listen to without leaving the room. We need oil and natural gas for the forseeable future. And we are ignoring tapping into domestic supplies because of the liberal environmental special interests who helped shape the Democrat energy bill.

Check out this letter to the editor in the cap journal titled We Still Need Oil.

Record-high energy costs impact our economy, national security and everyday lives. We need to find more and different sources of energy and we need to be efficient and conserve. But, we cannot ignore the essential role that American oil and natural gas must play.

The U.S. could replace a portion of our oil imports with oil and natural gas produced in our own country. For example, the estimated undiscovered oil offshore could replace current levels of oil imports from the Persian Gulf for the next 59 years. However, because of federal restrictions, 90 percent of the offshore supply is off-limits, including 300 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 50 billion barrels of crude oil.

Clean natural gas in the Rocky Mountain West that is currently off-limits could heat 50 million U.S. homes for the next 60 years.

Of course, American oil and natural gas won't be the only prescription for reducing our dependence on foreign sources. But we will need oil and natural gas for the foreseeable future.

Today, 65 percent of the energy Americans use is oil and natural gas. U.S. demand for natural gas is projected to increase by 34 percent by 2025. And many alternative fuels — from ethanol to hydrogen — require natural gas or oil to produce.

The fact remains that for the foreseeable future, oil and natural gas will be our main fuel source.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed energy bills that ignore these realities. Our nation needs a comprehensive energy strategy that includes conservation, efficiency, alternatives, and oil and natural gas. Ignoring the problems of today while we search for that perfect tomorrow is a sure formula for economic disaster.

Responsibility now lies with the U.S. Senate, the conference committee and the White House to overcome the U.S. House of Representative's failure to protect America's energy security and remove obstacles that discourage the development of American energy.

Granted this letter is from the Exec. VP of the Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association, but it recognizes some important facts. What we need is a balance of short, mid and long range planning. That means significant federal incentives for both long term scientific research into alternative sources AND for short term domestic production.