Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you well! Please join me this evening at 7:30 p.m. CDT, when I will be hosting a live Internet town hall meeting, which you can watch here on my website: (www.culberson.house.gov).

Tonight, my special guest will be Dan Naatz, the Vice President of Federal Resources from the Independent Petroleum Association of America. Feel free to ask a question using the chat box and join in our discussion.

I have asked Mr. Naatz to join me and discuss the energy problems we are facing. I have heard from many of you over the past few months, expressing your concerns and frustrations regarding record gas prices, untility bills, and food costs, and the difficulties you and your families are facing as a result of these price spikes.

Getting gas prices under control will require a comprehensive approach to our national energy policy and it is going to require leadership at every level of government, and from the business community and individual citizens. We must build clean, new refineries and power plants, and continue researching and investing in alternative energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro power. Simplifying the types of fuels available for purchase now will increase efficiency, and we must also improve our conservation habits.

Last week, President Bush lifted the executive ban on producing oil from the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), leaving only Congress standing in the way of allowing access to the vast reserves in our coastal waters. Opening the OCS, as well as ANWR and shale oil resources in the Mountain West for exploration will have an immediate impact on market prices. Significant reserves exist in these regions and new technologies allow for the environmentally responsible production of oil and gas.

I have supported the American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act and the Oil Shale Opportunity Act, and I continue to work diligently with my colleagues to ensure that energy supply can meet demand.

I am encouraged by the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that defines us as a nation. Researchers right here in Houston are working to produce a washing-machine sized device that uses nanotechnology to shrink transmission lines and store electricity from the grid inside our homes. Long-term solutions will require this kind of outside-the-box thinking. Until these solutions become practical, though, Congress must not restrict our ability to tap into our abundant domestic resources.

Please join me tonight to discuss these and other important issues. I would like to hear your thoughts, concerns, and ideas for our future.

Sincerely,
John Culberson
Member of Congress