CR 16/03

The energy policy of the United States has focused for years on developing methods of production, including nuclear power plants, and on increasing exploration for oil, gas, and coal. However, the country still faces energy shortages, and the environmental risks of most methods of energy production are increasingly unacceptable. It is clear that the United States must adopt a more realistic energy policy. Our problems spring not from a shortage of energy, but from a surplus of demand.

Which of the following policies would be most likely to lead to the resolution of the energy problems facing the United States as they are analyzed above?

a. Developing nuclear power plants that operate with fewer technicians.

b. Increasing the tax on energy consumption to encourage conservation.

c. Increasing the number of the country’s oil reserves that can be drawn on during times of shortage.

d. Speeding construction and licensing approval of nuclear plants and other sources of cheaper power.

e. Encouraging energy use during off-peak hours to equalize the burden on existing power plants.


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