Energy, not just energy efficiency, should be at the top of the agenda.
Improving energy efficiency alone will not make us independent of the Middle East. Not even close.
There is a significant baseload shortage looming (this is already showing up in Californai and the Northeast). There are better choices for peak load supplies other than burning natural gas (like California has chosen).
Alternate petroleum sources and alternatives to petroleum-based fuels will do much more to move us away from supporting terror-laiden countries. Tar sands and shale oil are nearly economically feasible - if some price stability could be established for a barrel of oil, it probably would be. Honda has a natural gas car that allows the owner to fill up at home, for about half the price of gasoline; this would catch on if more public natural gas pumps were available (for emergency fill-ups). Hydrogen cars are NOT part of any near term solution. Providing a choice for automotive fuels (biodiesel, natural gas, ethanol) would introduce competition to OPEC, which would do a lot to drop the price of a barrel of oil.
Drilling for domestic oil and improving energy efficiency will play a role in sticking it to the Mid-East during the development of these alternatives, but to depend on improving efficiency as a long term solution, while politically correct, is irresponsible planning.
Start in 2007 for at least one new nuclear plant per state.
One design, for all plants.
Tell the Sierra club to go plant trees instead of hindering our plan to reduce CO2 with nuclear plants.
Efficiency is everything. The pennies you're not spending because you don't need them adds up to billions of dollars that are earned without an efford.
Those who have efficient products have customers. If you have the feeling for efficiency in a society you will boast more succeful products as the wasters.