The pursuit of energy security should be a top priority for the United States.  Further, I believe our
independence from foreign energy should be achieved without the needless over-regulation that has
plagued the nuclear energy sector for so long.  We should take a fast-track approach when it comes to a
secure future for domestic offshore energy drilling.
I witnessed endless and often unnecessary over-regulation by legislators over the span of my 40-year
career in the nuclear power industry.  Quite often, red tape and over-regulation delayed progress for the
industry.  It would be a mistake to allow offshore oil production to fall prey to similar regulatory snags,
as our country needs to focus on maintaining our domestic energy requirements.
My career originally brought me to Lynchburg over four decades ago.  Now that I have been retired for a
few years, my wife and I have become avid travelers and hope to continue doing so.  We look forward to
stable domestic oil/gas prices to fuel our wanderlust for many years to come.  Secure domestic offshore
energy should be one of our highest priorities.
Robert Roberts