Energy Independence and Conservation

Energy independence is a matter of national security. Every year, we send $700 billion to oil-producing countries, many of them dictatorships run by our enemies. And every year we borrow hundreds of billions of dollars from countries like China to help pay for our addiction to oil. This is the greatest transfer of wealth in history and it is strengthening our enemies and bleeding our economy. It has to stop and it has to stop now.

We have a responsibility to ourselves and our children to wean ourselves from foreign oil. To do so, we must harness all the sources of domestic energy production available. From wind and geothermal power, to clean coal and bio-fuel, to hydrogen cells and fusion and nuclear power, all must be explored. Our future is at stake.

Montana must be at the forefront of this effort because Montana is the Energy State. Montana holds more than 25% of the nation’s recoverable coal reserves. Montana holds large deposits of oil and gas, including two of the nation’s 100 largest oil fields. Montana is one of the top hydroelectric power producers in the United States. And Montana has tremendous wind energy potential throughout the state.

We must invest in higher education so we have the brain power to fully develop and exploit these energy resources. And we must build the new infrastructure needed to facilitate the expansion of Montana’s energy production. We must strive to make Montana a world class center for energy education and innovation.

Back to Issues