Crisis casts new light on ANWR.

• Author: Portman, Carl
• Position: Iraq-Kuwait Crisis, 1990-; Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

With more than one-third of the undiscovered oil and gas resources of the nation and half of its coal reserves, Alaska should figure prominently in a diversified national energy strategy designed to break the nation's dependence on Middle East oil. Regardless of the range of components in the emerging strategy, new oil and gas development in Alaska is likely to serve as a cornerstone of any plan designed to strengthen production and to reduce foreign oil imports. But if America is to come to grips with its energy problems, it must also return to the spirit of conservation and make a serious effort at utilizing alternative energy sources.

There's no simple solution that will satisfy America's energy needs into the 21st century, though; no magic carpet or practical, benign energy alternative exists. And conservation alone will not solve America's energy problems, because no amount of energy savings will eliminate the need for large amounts of fuel in the future.

Petroleum has been an important natural resource used by mankind throughout history. Oil and gas now account for two-thirds of America's energy consumption. That figure translates into heat for homes, energy for global travel and gasoline for automobiles. From heart valves and life jackets to guitar strings and crayons, petroleum-derived products are a major part of modern life. America's consumption has risen and its production has fallen. It is importing more than half of what it needs to continue fueling its economy.

It will take a combination of new oil and gas development, conservation and a greater utilization of alternative energy sources to enable America to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Alone, none of these practices can solve America's mounting energy storm.

The single most important action the United States can take to plan for its energy future would be for Congress to allow leasing on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Development of oil resources there probably would result in a bigger incremental increase in domestic oil production than could be obtained from any other action.

Geologists believe the Coastal Plain may yield more than 9 billion barrels of oil and may represent the best chance for a major domestic oil discovery. Other strong prospects in Alaska include the Chukchi Sea, where prospects may contain more than 4.8 billion barrels of oil, and the Beaufort Sea, where prospects may hold several more billion barrels of...