Blasting two U.S. senators’ plan to set up an energy commissionto investigate recent high natural gas and oil prices, North DakotaGov. Ed Schafer said last week the proposal would result in nothingbut finger pointing, and he asserted that there is no “quick fix”to the nation’s energy problems.

Instead, Schafer, a member of the Interstate Oil and Gas CompactCommission, suggested that the federal government should insteadconvene a roundtable discussion by a group of bipartisan governorswho would offer “solutions to strengthen the whole nation, not justour individual states.”

Schafer’s criticisms were sent in a letter to Sens. CharlesSchumer, D-NY and Susan M. Collins, R-ME, who proposed legislationlast week to set up a $500,000 commission to investigate highenergy prices. The amendment was tacked onto energy legislationthat had already cleared the House. The Senate approved the Housebill and the amendment, and the measure now goes to a House andSenate conference committee.

Among other things, the non-partisan commission would examinethe causes of energy supply disruptions, ways in which the UnitedStates could become less dependent on foreign oil supplies and waysto improve refinery capacity and utilization, transportation anddelivery systems and product storage. Collins said last week itwould be the “first step” toward crafting a sustainable energypolicy for the country.

However, IOGCC members, who have long advocated and developed anenergy policy, said much of the groundwork is already in place.

“We will not offer you a magical, instant solution to a problemthat developed over years,” Schafer wrote. “A number of politicianshave already initiated ‘investigations’ that will, no doubt,attempt to assess blame. But there simply is no quick fix, andblame can be spread around so broadly that it would be satisfyingto no one. Congress might even have to share some of that blame.”

Earlier this year, Schafer, who chaired the IOGCC in 1995, andfellow member Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma updated an energypolicy document written five years ago. The IOGCC governorsrepresent 30 energy producing states, and in August, led by Schaferand Keating, it unveiled its new and improved four-prong strategythat included the following:

The IOGCC also has called on federal, state and industryofficials to meet this coming Wednesday (Sept. 20) in Columbus, OHfor a natural gas summit to discuss the coming winter seasonoutlook.

“Unfortunately, energy has been such a cheap commodity for somany years that attention to energy policy was basicallynonexistent in Washington,” Schafer wrote. He said both the EnergyDepartment and the IOGCC already had information that would alreadyanswer many questions. “I offer to save you a good deal of time andtaxpayer money.”

Collins said that she thought the bipartisan commission could”find common ground with the notion that in the long term, we needto conduct a comprehensive study of our oil and natural gasindustries in order to develop a strategy to stabilize fuel pricesand to reduce our reliance on foreign oil supplies.”

In July, responding to brownouts faced by his constituents inNew York City and Long Island, Schumer said, “we need to face themusic. If we ignore the looming, chronic energy shortage, we riskthe economic well being of the entire region.”

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