Hatch, who co-sponsored provisions in the Energy Bill to jump-start oil shale and tar sands development in the United States, dismisses the naysayers who point to past boom-and-bust frenzies around oil shale and tar sands as a reason why government should steer clear. As demonstrated by the success of the Alberta developments, governments should play a key role, he said.

"Those who state otherwise, in my opinion, are underestimating either the economic viability of developing our unconventional resources, or overestimating the world's ability to keep up with international energy demand, or both," Hatch said.

And, he added, "Those who doubt that unconventional fuels are economically viable probably are suffering from a neck ailment that keeps them from looking north" to Alberta.

Alberta is now second only to Saudi Arabia in proven oil reserves and ninth in the world in annual oil production, something Hatch said is due to the successful development of oil sands. And "before long," he said, "Canada will inevitably overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's oil giant."

And Canadian reserves pale next to the undeveloped resources in the Rocky Mountains, he said.

"Utah has more recoverable oil in oil sands than the entire U.S. reserve," Hatch said. "That's a significant number, but it is overshadowed by the fact that the largest recoverable hydrocarbon resource in the world rests within the borders of Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming in the form of oil shale."

The Department of Energy estimates that recoverable oil shale in the western United States exceeds one trillion barrels and is the richest and most geographically concentrated oil shale resource in the world.

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E-mail: spang@desnews.com