Published July 1979 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Is There A Gas Shortage? The uncertain state of gasoline supplies in many parts of the country has baffled and angered many Americans. The gas shortage that affected California some weeks ago has spread to other states, as service stations reduce operating hours to conserve gas allocations. While the lines grow longer at the gas pumps, various experts in government and the oil industry have offered conflicting explanations of the shortage, and confusing predictions for the future. One day we hear of serious shortages of gasoline, fuel oil, and diesel fuel; the next day we are told that the situation should improve by the end of the month or the end of the summer because gasoline supplies are up. These contradictory statements have added to the general public distrust and suspicion that an energy crisis does not exist. It is widely believed that the oil companies are hoarding gas supplies until prices rise even further. Some of the explanations offered for the current gas shortage include: a shortage of crude oil, due mainly to the Iranian oil shutdown; rising gasoline consumption; and panic buying, stemming in part from heavy media coverage of gas shortages in California and other areas. Automobile owners are "topping off" their tanks to keep them full with frequent visits to the pump. One of the most disturbing aspects of the gas shortage is the lack of adequate, independent information available on oil and gasoline supplies. The Department of Energy, which is charged with monitoring oil supplies, receives its information from the oil companies. There are growing doubts in Congress that the nation benefits from this hand-in-glove relationship. The General Accounting Office, the independent auditing branch of Congress, is verifying the Department of Energy's oil supply figures, and the Federal Trade Commission has begun an inquiry into the causes of the current gasoline shortage. There is no doubt that the country is experiencing an oil shortage, one that is likely to continue. OPEC nations are committed to stretching out their reserves as long as possible, and have cut their oil production already. The Senate is working on responsible solutions to our energy problems-by developing ways to make maximum use of our domestic sources of energy, including coal, and by acting quickly on a tax to limit windfall profits. But the ability of the administration and Congress to deal with the energy crisis has been eroded by inadequate information. Clarification and independent statistics are badly needed. The nation needs the reassurance that we are being told the truth about the energy situation. July 4, 1979