With recent warnings that the Pacific Northwest could face sharply higher energy prices and possible rolling blackouts later this year, the President’s proposal couldn’t come at a better time.

The President’s decisive action on this issue is a welcome change from the previous administration’s inaction. For eight years under Bill Clinton, this country had no clear energy policy. Clinton’s own Energy Secretary, Bill Richardson, said in February 2000 that, “It is obvious that the federal government was not prepared. We were caught napping. We got complacent.”

President Bush knows we can no longer afford to be complacent. He understands that our country needs new sources of energy. Because supply has not kept up with demand over the past decade, prices are getting higher and – as we can see in extreme cases like California – blackouts are being imposed because there simply isn’t enough energy to go around.

Consider these facts: since 1992, U.S. oil consumption is up 14 percent, but production is down 17 percent. And our need for natural gas will increase by two-thirds in the next 20 years. One thing is certain: if we want to keep prices down for consumers and make sure everyone has enough electricity, we must increase our energy production.

Under the President’s plan, the regulations and red tape for building new power plants would be streamlined. Of particular interest to the Pacific Northwest, the President wants to streamline the re-licensing process for hydroelectric dams.

The President also understands that conservation, sensitivity to the environment and increased efficiency is important. His plan would provide $2 billion over 10 years to research clean-coal technologies, tax incentives for those who buy energy-efficient cars, and $1.2 billion for alternative-fuel research. The Bush plan also creates mandatory reduction targets for pollutants.

These are common-sense proposals that stand in stark contrast to the approach taken by our state’s Democrats. The Democrats seem to have only two responses to the energy crisis: 1) blame President Bush; and 2) push for price caps.

If you think power blackouts are great, you’ll love price caps. California has price caps, and look what’s happening there. Price caps would not solve the energy crisis – in fact, they would almost certainly make things worse. They discourage new investment and destabilize the market, hurting consumers in the end.

President Bush clearly has the best, most comprehensive plan. His decision to move quickly on energy policy is good news for Washington consumers worried about high prices. Now the ball is in the Democrat’s court to work with the President on this very important issue.