New Mexico News
| CANDIDATE FUEL COSTS Q&A |
| Posted by () on May 21 2008 at 3:03 PM |
Steve Pearce
"Short-term, there is nothing (to ease prices), except have more of a supply. So, we need more supply. Drilling in the outer continental shelf. Wells in the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). We could have 1.5 million barrels a day coming from ANWR right now.
"If we started drilling on our outer continental shelf, I think OPEC would hear— and begin to open the taps. They're very in tune with our economics. I bet we could see an immediate adjustment in the price."
Pearce said he supports continued research on renewable energy sources but said there should have been greater emphasis on that years ago.
"We should have done something 30 years ago, and we have not. Nobody is driving a solar car, and nobody will be within our lifetime. I would love to not buy from Hugo Chavez. (But) we have an oil economy. To get prices down, all we can do is have more production of oil and gas."
Pearce questioned the wisdom of the proposed federal gasoline-tax holiday but doesn't rule out a vote in support of it.
"It's got a lot of public appeal, but, frankly, we take a lot of money out of the roads. The public will say, 'Hey— do that.' At some point, you do— you listen to what the voters are saying. (But) I will tell them: 'I think it's not going to do what you think.' ''
Heather Wilson
"We need a balanced, long-term energy policy to make America more energy independent," said Wilson, who favors increased domestic energy production, conservation and further research into alternative energies.
"Right now, we have put so much off-limits— in the Mountain West, the outer continental shelf, and Alaska— that ... American policy is part of the problem in rising gas prices. With the technology today, we can get that oil out of (ANWR) with just 2,000 acres of surface disturbance— in an area the size of South Carolina.
"The second part is conservation. We need to get more out of a gallon of gas. (We increased) fuel economy standards. The law we passed, and I supported, increases it by 40 percent by 2020.
"(The) third piece of that strategy is research into 'game-changing' technologies," Wilson said.
She doesn't know whether the ultimate answer lies in ethanol, hydrogen or some other form of energy but said, "at some point, we've got to figure out how to get past the gasoline engine."
Wilson believes a gas tax holiday is a bad idea because it would cut much-needed funding to maintain roads in New Mexico. She would oppose the holiday unless it could be done without negatively affecting roads.
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