President George Bush had a few things right when he pitched his energy agenda in Minnesota Wednesday.

Friday, May 18, 2001

President George Bush had a few things right when he pitched his energy agenda in Minnesota Wednesday. He’s correct that there are no short-term fixes to a long-term problem, and a case can be made that he’s right to propose extra fossil-fuel exploration — for now.

But relying on expanded oil drilling should be considered a short-term solution in itself. If the Bush administration focuses on more environmentally sound solutions for the future, while using expanded domestic oil production in the meantime, it will justify a short-term expansion of fossil fuel exploration.

Letting oil and gas companies drill more widely should not be a permanent solution to anything, but Americans are demanding lower gas and electricity prices now. Building more electrical transmission lines will be unpopular where it is done, but Californians are sick of blackouts. While suffering through a difficult spell now, Americans can at least be assured that electricity and oil will flow freely again.

But this should be a lesson that the future cannot be built on nonrenewable fuels. Bush’s energy policy will only be successful if it works in tougher fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles, provides real and lasting incentives for conservation and encourages vigorous growth of renewable energy sources -&160;not just lip service. If companies spent as much money on finding efficient fuel cells as they did searching for oil, we wouldn’t have this problem.

Bush’s plans are not without sacrifice. More oil exploration is not the ideal solution, but it’s the fastest fix for an energy problem that won’t go away on its own.

The true test will be whether the administration can turn its back on its oil-industry friends and realize that the future demands new sources of energy.