While consumers waited in long lines – and even fought – to fill their gas tanks, governments attempted to encourage innovative solutions by, for example, raising efficiency requirements for automobiles and certain appliances, like refrigerators. In 1977, the US created the Department of Energy (DOE); a year later, it enacted the National Energy Act, which employed tools like industrial regulation and tax incentives to promote fuel efficiency and renewable energy.
当消费者排长队等候——甚至为了加满油箱而发生斗殴时，政府却在鼓励创新方案，比方说提高汽车和冰箱等某些电器的能效要求。美国能源部于1977年创立；一年后颁布了《国家能源法》，采用行业法规及税收优惠政策等工具来推动可再生能源发展、提高燃油效率。