The Hill News

Although it’s still early, 2011 is shaping up to be the year of the energy aftershock. Japan’s 8.9 magnitude earthquake forced the shutdown of oil refining facilities and nuclear power plants. Turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East pose an oil supply risk. Markets are rattled.

And so as we rise each morning to headlines about oil prices, political turmoil and natural disasters, Americans once again are taking stock of the country’s energy policies. The news has alerted us to the risks we have come to accept with our energy supply â€" risks of supply disruption, commodity price spikes and safety.

 But the shock won’t last long. Eventually, prices will moderate. Power plant and drilling accidents will be forgotten. And as President Obama recently described it, we’ll “slip back into a trance” when it comes to energy reform.

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