The big corporate government idea is that higher energy prices may make alternative energy competitive, if they do not discourage or bankrupt the American consumer first.
http://www.casttv.com/video/aeljfw8/elvis-presley-what-now-my-love-video 3:26
In late December 2010, John Hofmeister, former President of Shell, warned Platt’s Energy TV viewers Americans could be paying $5 a gallon of gasoline by 2012.

Tom Kloza, chief oil [...]