U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham cautioned on February 14th that the Bush administration’s plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil drilling as part of a larger energy policy aimed at boosting domestic product supplies and reducing foreign oil imports would not be a quick fix.
Abraham indicated that the energy plan was still under development by a White House task force chaired by Vice President Dick Cheney and would include a wide range of measures in addition to drilling in the Arctic refuge.
He said that: “What I hate is the impression that there’s no other ideas we’re going to be looking at except whether or not to push for [drilling in] ANWR.” Abraham added that: “That will not be the only thing in our energy plan.
It’s only going to be one small part of a much broader, more comprehensive plan.” The energy secretary said that other proposals include the development of cleaner coal technology to fuel generating plants, reviews of the permit process for nuclear power plants and promotion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
Abraham also indicated that the new administration would take a less aggressive stance towards OPEC. “My hope is perhaps we can have less public conversations on a more regular basis to try to work together,” he said.
The former Michigan senator noted that the new administration had not had a “full enough discussion” to determine what position to take on OPEC’s next meeting on March 16th and declined to say whether he thought OPEC could be justified in cutting production to offset falling consumer demand due to the U.S. economic slowdown.
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
