Then, of course, there is the 2.6 TRILLION Cubic feet of natural gas in the Destin Dome, already tapped just waiting for approval to start bringing it in... We have coal reserves out the wazoo, We ARE the Saudi Arabia of coal.... We should be making as much use of coal as possible to relieve pressure on petroleum supplies. If we increased oil production or replace usage of oil by a mere 2 to 3 million barrels/day (ANWR ALONE is capable of supplying 1M/barrels/day for approximately 35 years) We could actually see Pre-Y2K gas prices.
We DO need alternatives but we have an energy crisis NOW, right now and we should be attacking the problem from every damn angle possible, not just hoping for one or 2 "maybes" that are as yet unproven. Coal, nuclear power, oil and natural gas should be on an immediate short list, corn ethanol needs to be scrapped because it is a net energy loser.
I might also add that 30 Million illegal aliens consume a lot of energy every day... It's time to get that burden off of our economy altogether. I know I personally drive far less now than ever, every trip to any store is well planned, sometimes days in advance and I only shop at certain stores (like best buy) when the routing is convenient according to my schedule.
T Boone Pickens should be calling for more use of consistent naturally generated power such as hydro-electric dams. We have several in my state and not only do they provide clean, safe energy but also provide some mighty fine fishing holes! ;-)
If they made me dictator for a day, i'd cut alllllll of the red tape and BS expense energy companies have to contend with in order to produce energy. That alone would sink the speculation in the marketplace now.
My 2 cents worth...