Vice President Dick Cheney yesterday rejected the idea that "we could simply conserve or ration our way out" of what he described as an energy crisis. Instead, he said the U.S. must increase its supply of fossil fuels, open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, and build one new power plant a week for 20 years to keep up with the demand for electricity. He said, "Conservation may be a sign of personal virtue, but it is not a sufficient basis for a sound, comprehensive energy policy." Cheney, who is leading a White House energy task force that is expected to issue policy recommendations later this month, said those who want to reduce the use of coal in this country because it is a major source pollution "deny reality." The vice president went on to say that the most environmentally friendly way to increase energy supplies in the U.S. would be to expand the use of nuclear power.
