Let's convert the gas and electricity companies from private, for profit businesses to publicly owned utilities. Deregulation has led to higher prices, not lower prices for me. Making gas and electricity public owned utilities will lower the cost of those essential services for consumers and create a push to help individual residents and citizens to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution. Currently, Austin and San Antonio's electricity rates, provided by publicly owned utilities, have remained relatively level, while Houston's electricity rates have skyrocketed by about 40%. Austin's publicly owned electric utility has paid for 2/3rds of the cost a friend of mine's solar panels. They're constantly helping organizations and people improve their energy conservation. They do this because it reduces the need to build new coal plants.

Presently, in Houston, Reliant Energy and other private utilities have no incentives to help us improve energy efficiency or decrease pollution. They want more electricity consumption and less pollution regulation because it leads to more profits. Energy efficiency is going to be the red letter phrase as the cheap oil begins to disappear. Oil and gas will always be around but the price will be rising tremendously. Look up the phrase "peak oil", if you haven't already.