Shimkus Pushes Idea of Alternate Fuel Sources
By Sanford J. Schmidt, The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.
May 12–COLLINSVILLE- U.S. Rep. John Shimkus met reporters at a Motor Mart gas station Monday to push for additional supplies of gas and oil in an effort to bring gasoline prices down.
He pointed out there are supplies off the east and west costs of the United States and in the National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska — as well as converting coal to liquid petroleum — that should be used to supplement efforts to find new energy sources.
Currently, federal law prohibits oil drilling in the refuge, as well as off the east and west coasts of the continental United States.
He said current efforts to develop alternate energy supplies are worthy, but not enough.
“Yesterday, would have been a good day for wind powers, but today there is no wind,” Shimkus said Monday.
That is why he urges getting energy out of existing supplies for the present.
“A mix of supply helps bridge us to the newer fuels,” he said.
He noted that when the Democrats gained control of Congress two years ago, the price of a barrel of oil was $58. Now, it was $124, as of Monday morning.
“It’s economics 101,” said Shimkus, a former economics teacher. The greater the supply, the lower the market price, demand being equal.
He said other countries, such as Russia and China, are exploring untapped petroleum sources, while the United States is not. “We are the only industrial country that does not try to exploit its natural resources. It’s crazy, and now is the time to do it,” he said.
With higher oil and gasoline prices, the investment in developing offshore and Alaskan petroleum sources, as well as converting coal to gas become more economically feasible, he said.
He also pointed out that developing domestic sources of petroleum will mean more jobs for Americans, as opposed to more jobs for countries such as Saudi Arabia.
“No single source is going to be a magic bullet, but by diversifying our efforts we can go a long way toward energy self-sufficiency,” he said.
READ more on this story in Tuesday’s Telegraph.
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