Sen. Craig Thomas (R-WY) is working with several other lawmakers to put together a bill that seeks to improve the energy supply situation and lower both crude oil and natural gas prices.

Thomas, along with Republican Sens. Larry Craig of Idaho, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, James Inhofe of Oklahoma and Trent Lott of Mississippi, is crafting a stand-alone measure that will contain some “real familiar and some new” provisions to put energy supply more in sync with demand, said Thomas spokesman Cameron Hardy. He said the measure would be introduced in the Senate either later Wednesday or early Thursday.

The Thomas bill comes as key legislation offered last week by the Senate Republican leadership — proposing $100 rebates to offset rising gasoline prices — is facing heated criticism on Capitol Hill and around the nation. The rebates, which were considered a core part of the bill, are considered all but dead now and are forcing Republicans to regroup on their energy measures.

Thomas believes “it’s time to get something done that will actually lower fuel prices,” as well as improve the domestic energy supply picture, Hardy said. He declined to discuss the specifics of the bill, noting that it was still a work in progress. However, Thomas issued a statement last week outlining some of the energy proposals that the senators were considering.

Thomas said that on the table were proposals to expand oil and gas production on the Outer Continental Shelf, open the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to exploration and production, repeal provisions that have blocked construction of liquefied natural gas terminals, allow accelerated depreciation and bonding authority for the construction of oil and natural gas pipelines and electricity transmission systems, and expand the opportunities to increase production from marginal oil and gas wells.

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