Needed: a bold policy on gas consumption.

Enjoy the recent dip in gas prices, because it isn't here to stay. The roller-coaster ride we've been on at the gas pump will continue until the U.S. develops a comprehensive energy plan that includes alternatives to gasoline, energy conservation, vehicle fuel efficiency, and more transparency in the oil markets.

Consumers paid on average around 63 cents more per gallon--about $23 billion more--this past summer compared with the summer before. The high prices reflect our vulnerability to a growing number of influences, including natural disasters, disruptions in supply, higher demand for oil worldwide, and mergers within the petroleum industry.

Yet after a year of soaring gas prices and increasing awareness of the need to reduce carbon emissions, the major piece of energy legislation voted on by Congress called for oil and gas production off our nation's shores but did not address energy efficiency.

Lack of industry action. Some carmakers have been less than innovative in developing fuel-efficient, alternative-energy technology. Cars and light trucks are the single largest users of oil in the U.S., but their average fuel economy is lower today than it was 20 years ago.

Instead of using technology to gain fuel efficiency, vehicles are designed mainly for fast acceleration and style. Better crash protection has also increased weight. But if automakers designed for fuel economy rather than higher performance, autos could achieve better gas mileage without sacrificing vehicle weight and safety.

Legislative efforts. Two proposals in the U.S. Senate set high but achievable goals. Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Richard Durbin of Illinois, and Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of ...