OOIDA applauds efforts to create national energy policy

A Senate bill to overhaul U.S. energy policies was introduced Monday, Feb. 26, aiming first to reduce the nation's dependency on foreign oil. At a press conference in Washington, DC, bill's sponsors outlined the goals of the legislation, which includes cutting U.S. oil imports to 50 percent by 2010.

The legislation is sponsored by the Republican head of the Senate Energy Committee, Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska, along with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) and Sen. John Breaux (D-LA). "We need to do it for the economic future of our country," Lott told reporters. Among those represented at the press event was the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, who applauded the goals of the legislation.

According to OOIDA, in the past 18 months, the lack of a national energy policy permitted an increase in the price of diesel fuel by more than half. This sudden price fluctuation resulted in tens of thousands of small business truckers being forced out of business. Small businesses often do not have the market strength or flexibility to pass on sudden additional energy costs to their customers. What small businesses need, says OOIDA, is a national energy policy that brings market and price stability.

OOIDA believes that only through increased domestic oil production and thoughtful conservation measures can the nation begin to insulate itself from the market manipulation of foreign countries acting in a monopolistic fashion. In a Feb. 26 press release, the 60,000-member trucking association said "Domestic oil producers must find it economically feasible to produce oil, and the oil produced in our country must be kept in the domestic market. On the conservation side, incentives must be given to domestic energy users to invest in equipment and infrastructure that reduces energy consumption."

The association said it realizes the proposal is not a short-term solution, but committed its support, looking forward to a national energy policy being put in place as soon as possible.