WASHINGTON | Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., introduced legislation Thursday to reduce dependence on foreign oil by investing in new U.S. energy technologies, including ethanol.

"Our nation is facing an energy crisis that compromises our national security, hampers our economic potential and cuts into the pocketbook of Northwest Indiana residents every time they go to the gas station," he said in a written statement.

By offering the legislation, Visclosky followed the lead of Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., a longtime advocate for energy independence, who introduced a similar Senate bill in January.

Visclosky's legislation, called the American Fuels Act, seeks to develop alternate technologies through a variety of incentives and requirements, including:

* Giving automakers a $100 tax credit for every hybrid vehicle produced.

* Creating a director of energy security who would advise the president on energy policy.

* Requiring 2 billion gallons of alternative diesel fuel to be blended into the 40 billion gallons of diesel produced annually by 2016.

* Demanding that federally funded public transit agencies purchase clean-fuel buses.

* Giving a tax credit to producers of cellulosic ethanol, a more sustainable form of ethanol that can be made from any form of plant matter.

Visclosky said that if the legislation succeeds, it will produce both energy solutions and economic benefits for the U.S.

"If this administration does not act to invest in new and alternative technologies, we will continue to see gas prices remain at levels that cut into the budgets of hard-working families," he said.