WATERLOO -- State Sen. David Hartsuch, R-Bettendorf, said he will make energy policy the centerpiece of his campaign for the First Congressional District.

Hartsuch chose the All-Stop truck stop off of Highway 63 for his first appearance in Waterloo since securing the Republican nomination last month. He will oppose the Democratic incumbent, Bruce Braley, in November.

The emergency medicine physician focused almost exclusively on energy during the campaign stop. He said "radical environmentalists" have helped worsen the nation's energy crunch by opposing an expansion of oil drilling, new refineries and the pursuit of nuclear energy.

Hartsuch said he supports the construction of new coal power plants, including those proposed in Marshalltown and Waterloo.

Those strategies are a key part, he said, of a comprehensive solution to the nation's energy crisis.

Renewable energies like wind, solar and ethanol, he said, and new technologies like electric cars, also play key roles in solving the nation's energy crisis.

The first step Congress should take, he said, is to make the government more energy efficient.

"The government accounts for 40 percent of the energy consumption in America," he said.

Hartsuch chided his opponent, Braley, for not supporting drilling for oil and staying silent on the issue of nuclear power plants.

Unlike Braley, he said, he does not fault oil companies for making record profits. He argued profit drives capital investment and helps create more energy.

"I don't buy the argument of record profits. It shows a complete lack of regard or confidence in free enterprise," he said.

Hartsuch, who has raised $16,655 through the end of June, trails Braley in fundraising by a significant margin. Through mid-May, Braley has raised $640,129.

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad

at (319) 291-1580 or

jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.