Washington, D.C. – Retail gasoline prices broke all records this weekend. In recent days, analysts have raised their expectations for the average U.S. natural-gas prices in 2004 due to increased competition for supply between utilities and industrial users. World coal prices continue to climb – more than doubling in the past year in some exporting countries. Rising prices in the world market have driven up domestic coal prices to $52 a ton, up from $35 a ton a year ago. Energy challenges on all fronts require a swift, comprehensive energy solution, Senate Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Pete V. Domenici said today. Chairman Domenici’s statement: “The rising cost of gasoline, natural gas and coal mandate a comprehensive energy solution. Those who want to break up our comprehensive energy bill, passing a little bit here and a little bit there, are simply reacting to the crisis of the moment. Last year, it was natural gas and electricity. This year, it may well be gasoline. “But the public deserves a cool, reasoned, long view from Congress that addresses all of our energy challenges. America needs comprehensive legislation that stabilizes gasoline prices, brings more natural gas into the market, diversifies our energy portfolio with more nuclear, wind and solar energies to stabilize electricity prices and makes coal burn clean so we can tap into our vast wealth of coal without hurting the environment. “We have that comprehensive solution in front of us. S. 2095 – a leaner version of the bill crafted by the House and Senate last year – addresses every energy crisis this country has faced in the last decade. It addresses last summer’s power outage with an electricity title that modernizes the grid and mandates its reliability. With this bill, we diversify our energy supply, moving away from our dangerous reliance on natural gas. We increase domestic oil production in every way that is politically feasible and have devised a plan for bringing it to market faster – stabilizing gasoline prices. “Let’s pass S. 2095 and give Americans the comprehensive energy legislation this country deserves. ”