Comment: The State is Prepared for a Short-Term Petroleum Crisis

In the preceeding article, Thomas LaPointe focuses his attention on "...short-term supply crisis management caused by an embargo or national catastrophe..." and its implications for state and local policy making. After a detailed analysis of the current energy situation in the United States and North Carolina in particular, LaPointe concludes that North Carolina is relatively secure in the areas of electric power generation and home heating. However, he feels that North Carolina is particularly vulnerable in the transportation area, should another petroleum embargo strike the United States. In effect, he seems to feel the national and state plans relating to an energy emergency are inadequate. Specifically, they "...fail to address the physical need for moving people to essential activities." He also feels energy crisis programs that are totally market oriented—that is, the emergency programs increasing governmental regulation of existing energy plans must go beyond government "encouragement" or "guidance, "and "market regulation." State governments must "propose concrete measures for moving people to essential activities during periods of substantially reduced gasoline supplies. It is our intention to examine North Carolina's energy crisis plans—specifically the draft Emergency Energy Program, to determine if LaPointe's comments about the Program, particularly in the area of transportation, merit further planning response