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U.S. energy review welcomed by bipartisan think tank officials

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Bipartisan Policy Center President Jason Grumet and other members of the Washington think tank welcomed a plan for a federal energy review.

"It's good to have a plan but what really matters is execution," Grumet said Thursday, responding to a White House announcement that it had begun its Quadrennial Energy Review.

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"Having all of the key agencies involved in a process like the QER increases the likelihood that the plan will lead to coordinated action," Grumet said.

The White House said the nation's energy sector was strained by climate change, cybersecurity threats and an increase in domestic oil and natural gas production.

The QER will offer recommendations on how to transform the U.S. energy sector to meet 21st century conditions, Energy Department officials said.

"The QER will identify important opportunities to modernize, expand, replace or transform our energy infrastructure system so that it better accommodates changes in energy supply, integrates cutting-edge information and security technologies and meets increasing demand for new consumer services," a blog post from department officials said.

The Bipartisan Policy Center said it has been calling for such a review since at least 2012.

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"This is smart policy and the right step at the right time," said former Sen. Byron Dorgan, a Democrat, who serves as co-chairman of the center.

Oil production from shale deposits in states including North Dakota have helped make the United States one of the leading oil producers in the world. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said the 9.5 million barrels of oil per day expected in 2015 would break a 40-year-old record.

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