February 2007

NAM Issues Energy Security Plan

The National Association of Manufacturers issued a comprehensive six-point energy policy that relies heavily on expanding domestic sources of energy - while expressing optimism that the economic imperative of growing energy demands could provide the incentive for bipartisan legislative action on this front.

The policy points out that while energy efficiency in the United States has doubled since 1970, our country’s need for energy has risen 47% due to a growing economy. While investing in new energy sources and continuing to boost efficiency gains will play critical roles in meeting our country’s energy demands in the future, increasing access to domestic sources of reliable energy will be essential to the long-term health of US industry as well as the American workers.

NAM asserts that a robust, comprehensive and forward-looking energy policy must consist of five crucial elements:

1. Making a national commitment to further reducing the energy intensity of the US economy and educating consumers;
2. Strengthening and focusing on public-private research and development efforts;
3. Making existing status and regulations rational;
4. Increasing domestic power generation; and
5. Increasing domestic energy supply.

Further, NAM states that in 2005, federal costs for environmental and energy regulation were $224 billion. That is equal to $1,249 per worker. Regulatory action can often affect the supply, distribution and use of energy. Therefore, NAM also supports actions that require federal agencies to:

• Provide an analysis of any adverse effects on energy supply, distribution or use;
• Offer reasonable alternatives to the action; and
• Establish a new Office of Federal Lands Energy Project Streamlining within the Executive Office of the President.

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