JOHN BARRASSO

Perspectives

Here at home and all across America, folks are dealing with the reality of an economic meltdown. This is real and immediate. Washington must not add to the problem by increasing the price of energy on families in Wyoming.

Trillions of taxpayer dollars are being spent to "stimulate" the economy, and new taxes are being proposed to deal with climate change. The people of Wyoming are right to question the spending and the increased taxes.

Times have changed, and people have different priorities. Recent proposals aimed at fighting climate change add an extra $1.60 per gallon to gas prices and could potentially cause an 80 percent jump in electricity rates.

The Pew Research Center recently released a poll that showed climate change ranked dead last with the public on issues of concern.

The reality is that energy security is essential to getting our economy moving. We need more energy than ever to power the factories and jobs that will develop the new products to carry us out of this recession.

Renewable energy such as wind and solar are important and necessary. Renewable energy relies on the availability of baseload power when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing. We must have energy that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Baseload power today is generated from coal, nuclear, and natural gas. These sources are abundant in Wyoming. We can and should make them cleaner. Clean coal technology, nuclear power and natural gas will all produce low-carbon energy. They are also more affordable than foreign sources of energy from countries that are not our friends.

The bottom line is that even with conservation innovations, America needs more baseload power. In January, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) released the overview of its Annual Energy Outlook for 2009 report. EIA projects adding a total of 46 gigawatts of coal-fired generating capacity from 2007 to 2030.

To power America and keep energy prices low, our government must make a commitment to clean coal technology, nuclear power and natural gas development. This includes developing technology to retrofit existing power plants. It is time to use our untapped human potential and spirit to develop the technological solutions we need.

While current technology is used to capture carbon dioxide for enhanced oil recovery, more must be done. Technological innovation, regulatory certainty and a workable legal framework are crucial to make carbon capture and sequestration a success. Wyoming is leading the way.

Wyoming has enacted legislation addressing carbon sequestration and clarifying ownership. Stakeholders continue to debate the legal ramifications of sequestered carbon and how best to implement a framework that will provide the legal certainty to move forward. Our laws should serve as models of legislation for future federal action.

Americans have always looked within ourselves for solutions. We have always had confidence in American ingenuity and American creativity to deal with challenges.

Yes, we want to protect our environment and yes, we want a strong economy. It just so happens that each relies on the other.

Before passing climate change legislation that reorders the American economy and way of life, we must understand its financial impacts. Any climate policy must make economic sense first. There is no room for error.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.