S.C. military officers urge energy policy

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Several active and former military officers from South Carolina called Friday for Congress to adopt new energy and climate policies this year -- or the country will face increasing national security threats.

At a news conference in Columbia, Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, and James Smith, D-Richland, voiced their support for such legislation, as did James Holland, the American Legion�s South Carolina commander. Leventis is a retired Air National Guard general; Smith is an Army officer who served in Afghanistan.

A May 2009 report signed by a dozen high-ranking former military offices said dependence on fossil fuels and the nation�s fragile electricity grid pose significant security threats.

�We need a better energy policy in this country, one that will take into account the national security risks of relying on a resource that is in the hands of nations that are not necessarily friendly to our interests,�� Leventis said.

�We are at a crossroads,�� Smith said.

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Friday, May. 29, 2009

Friday, May. 29, 2009

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Friday, May. 29, 2009

Friday, May. 29, 2009

S.C. military officers urge energy policy

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