policy in the United States has focused on three major goals:
assuring a secure supply of energy, keeping energy costs low,
and protecting the environment. In pursuit of those goals,
government programs have been developed to improve the
efficiency with which energy is utilized, to promote the
domestic production of conventional energy sources, and to
develop new energy sources, particularly renewable sources.
Implementing these programs has been controversial because of
varying importance given to different aspects of energy policy.
For some, dependence on imports of foreign oil, particularly
from the Persian Gulf, is the primary concern; for others, the
indiscriminate use of fossil fuels, whatever their origin, is
most important. The contribution of burning fossil fuels to
global climate change is particularly controversial. Another
dichotomy is between those who see government intervention as a
positive force and those who view it as a necessary evil at
best. Energy policy is an important issue in the pres