HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell said that he has sent a letter to the Bush administration calling for a comprehensive investigation of the refining industry to explain why consumers are being forced to pay exorbitant gas prices.
We have had months of spikes in gas prices, Rendell said. There does not seem to be a real rational basis for this since the price of crude oil has dropped over the last year. I am asking the U.S. Secretary of Energy to undertake an investigation of potential profiteering by oil companies.[image-nocss]
Rendell said he supports Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano's call for a comprehensive investigation of the refining industry, including refining practices and maintenance. At a minimum, such an inquiry should examine the high number of refinery maintenance issues, and it should help consumers understand why they are being forced to pay exorbitant prices at the pump, he said.
Rendell also outlined five specific, long-term steps the Bush administration should take to help moderate gasoline price spikes and reduce reliance on foreign energy. He said that these action would complement his Energy Independence Strategy, which he announced earlier this year, intended to push Pennsylvania into the top tier of states taking steps to cut consumer energy costs and to significantly expand the alternative fuel, clean energy and conservation sectors.
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