Denny Rehberg: “let us put all the political posturing and gamesmanship aside and be honest: the major causes of high energy prices this…”

“let us put all the political posturing and gamesmanship aside and be honest: the major causes of high energy prices this summer will be the lack of domestic energy production and the absence of new investments in the electricity generation facilities needed to meet the growth experienced over the last decade. That is why becoming more energy self-reliant is so important. If we want an uninterrupted supply of energy, then we need more American oil, American gas, and clean coal. In Montana alone, we have several hundred years' worth of natural gas and coal deposits. Current estimates place coal resources for eastern Montana at about 50 billion tons, two-thirds of which is low-sulfur, clean-burning coal. In developing these resources, it is important that we keep in mind that America has some of the highest environmental standards and most advanced technology in the world. Our strict laws do a good job of ensuring our environment is protected. The bottom line is this: relying upon our own energy resources is cleaner and safer than importing energy from countries with inferior technology and scant environmental oversight.”