This countries economy runs on crude oil. Anyone that doesn't know that is truely naive or completely stupid. In my opinion, the governments main involvement in the current high energy prices stem from allowing environmental groups and lobbyists too much power and authority over policies and practices.
Our enemies have begun to wage a different type of war on the United States. Break our economy and you break much of our ability to remain a strong force globally. OPEC clearly manipulates supply and doesn't base their decisions on demand. Over the course of the past eight years they have begun to errode the American economy because they know how to do it. Unfortunately, our current President and Congress have seen fit to devalue our dollar by throwing money around like there was no tomorrow on top of it.
Do I think we need alternative energy sources? You bet, but nothing is commercially viable at the present time. We've already seen what the governments ethanol mandates have brought about. There needs to be some real scientists on the cabinet of the president. What we need to do in the meantime is to secure our own oil reserves through drilling where we know there are large supplies (ANWAR, off shore, etc.). I would like to see a strong governmental move to break the backs of our aggressors. Let them drink the oil that would normally flow to the United States. The longer we tarry, the greater the chance China and other growing countries can fill the U.S. gap.
Governmental involvement beyond allowing our own oil production will almost always lead to increases in costs to the consumer. Name me one time the government has taken over something or gotten heavily involved in something that did not become a bloated, money hungry monster that rarely produced results.