By Andy Chapman, Gillette News Record

Recently elected U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., sat down for a question-and-answer session  during a quick stop in Gillette. Below are his answers to various issue-based questions.

You’ve said the government should explore other energy options like wind and nuclear, to wean ourselves off foreign oil dependence. How does Wyoming play into that idea?

BARRASSO: “Wyoming really has what America needs - we have the coal. We’re the No. 1 producer of coal in the United States. We have the uranium for nuclear energy. We’re the No. 1 producer of uranium. We’re No. 2 in natural gas in on-shore natural gas and we’re No. 7 in oil. Plus, we have world-class wind. There’s real value in harnessing the wind because the renewable energy has value as well. We need all the sources of energy, as long as it’s American energy. When oil, not that long ago, was $140 a barrel, you’re sending hundreds of billions of dollars to Saudi Arabia, to foreign countries. That’s the wealth of this nation.

If you’re going to continue to send that overseas, to people who are not our friends, they’re going to use that money to make us weaker. It just seems it’s in our best interest to be energy self-sufficient because it’s not just energy security, to me, it’s national security. We have an incredible resource in Campbell County and Wyoming with coal. It’s the most available, affordable, reliable, secure source of energy that there is. Half the electricity in the country comes from coal but when some folks in Washington say they don’t like coal, I’m going to stand up and defend Wyoming coal.”

Under the new administration, what’s going to be the biggest impact/change on Wyoming and residents?

BARRASSO: “They’re talking about the governor (Dave Freudenthal) as a member of the Cabinet. That would be good for Wyoming, good for the Rocky Mountain West and good for America.

(But) there are going to be changes because of some of the bills that we were able to defeat last (administration). With the Liebermann-Warner (Climate Security Act) bill, I thought that would’ve been devastating for our economy, for Wyoming’s economy, as well as for the pocketbooks of people all around the country with raising the cost of electricity to folks in their homes.

I’m going to continue to fight to keep taxes low, families safe and our nation strong. There will be people in Washington trying to take a different direction.”

READ THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW HERE.