Energy plans divide candidates

Inter Lake editorial

Besides their positions on Iraq, the differences between Barack Obama and John McCain on energy policy are becoming the starkest.

Both candidates, their surrogates and their parties are advocating day-and-night views on the best ways to achieve their promissory rhetoric on "energy independence."

With gas prices rising above $4 a gallon, the country's energy future has become a priority issue in presidential politics.

And the candidates couldn't be more different in their proposals.

McCain announced recently that he wants to lift a long-standing prohibition on offshore oil drilling, giving the states higher revenue incentives and the choice to pursue development.

The driving theory for increasing domestic production is to increase supply as a means of meeting demand and countering rising oil costs.

Obama has expressed reservations about this approach, saying that he doubts it will reduce gas prices any time soon.

His campaign instead calls for development of "clean energy" with an emphasis on improved efficiencies, conservation and the development of alternative energy sources such as biofuels.

The differences go down the line:

McCain wants more nuclear power, Obama doesn't.

McCain wants a temporary suspension of federal gas taxes, Obama doesn't.

McCain proposes an incentive of a $300 million prize for the development of a vastly improved hybrid car battery; Obama calls it a gimmick and pledges an investment of $150 billion over 10 years in the development of clean energy.

Some of Obama's ideas are laudable, but they are not going to produce more oil.

Wind, nuclear, solar, biofuels, hydroelectricity all have important and worthy roles in the nation's energy mix, but they simply cannot and will not satisfy the country's demand for fossil fuel energy any time in the near future.

It's estimated that the alternatives to fossil fuels, even at full development, will not provide more than 10 percent of the country's energy needs.

Voters eventually will need to sift the information and decide who has the best energy plan.

They will have to decide whose claims of attaining energy independence are actually going to work.