Just days after President Bush released the Administration’s energy policy recommendations, members of the NACo Public Lands Steering Committee and NACo Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee met to discuss how the current energy shortage is affecting counties and what national policy actions should be implemented in response.

Speaking at the meeting were Guy Caruso, director of the National Energy Strategy Project for the United States Energy Association, an industry trade group, and David Goldstein, energy program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization. Caruso’s presentation outlined the need for increased energy supply from a diverse range of energy producers, while Goldstein focused on opportunities for energy conservation.

President Bush’s new energy policy proposals created the foundation for dialogue among county officials attending the meeting. The Bush report, released May 17 and titled “Reliable, Affordable, and Environmentally Sound Energy for America’s Future,” makes 105 recommendations to be carried out through Executive Orders, federal agency programs and legislation to be considered by Congress.

Of particular interest to counties, the report recommends providing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with eminent domain authority to site electric transmission lines. Such a provision could preempt county land use authorities and runs contrary to NACo policy. The report also proposes working with governors on regional energy issues. It is not clear how counties will be consulted.

The Bush report focuses primarily on long-term solutions to the energy crisis, such as increased domestic energy production on public and private lands, including development of a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It also recommends some shorter-term actions aimed at addressing immediate energy shortages. In the report, the White House states and develops five key objectives:

• Modernize and Increase Conservation. Increase funding for energy efficiency programs, encouraging the development of fuel-efficient vehicles, creating tax credits to encourage consumer conservation, and expanding conservation programs
• Modernize and Expand Our Energy Infrastructure. Create a new, high-tech energy delivery network by expediting permitting for infrastructure improvements, expanding research on reliable energy transmission, and reducing regulatory barriers
• Diversify Energy Supplies. Deploy latest technologies to increase environmentally friendly exploration and production of domestic energy resources to diversify supply. Invest in new energy technology; expand the use of alternative and renewable energy such as wind, solar, biomass and geothermal energy; and provide for the expansion of nuclear energy
• Improve and Accelerate Environmental Protection. Cut emissions from electric power plants and increase funding for clean coal research, and
• Strengthen America’s Energy Security. Help low-income families with heating and cooling assistance, reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and build stronger relationships with energy producing nations in our own hemisphere.

The joint meeting was May 23 at the Western Interstate Region Conference. More than 75 county officials participated in the meeting, co-chaired by Supervisor Ron Christensen, Gila County, Ariz., and Judge Robert Eckels, Harris County, Texas.

During the steering committee meeting, energy prices and their effect on counties were also discussed. While the Bush Administration has opposed appeals from California officials to adopt wholesale price caps, a number of county officials called for a public disclosure requirement once prices reach a certain threshold.

This policy recommendation and other energy policy issues will be considered at the NACo Annual Conference, July 13-17 in Philadelphia.

(Copies of President Bush’s energy report are available at www.whitehouse.gov/energy. Reports issued by Caruso’s and Goldstein’s organizations can be read online at www.usea.org/publications.htm and www.nrdc.org/ air/energy/rep/repinx.asp, respectively.)