Economist Says Expect to Spend More on Heating Bills OVERLAND PARK, KS (kcur) - With energy at the top of the political agenda, representatives of state energy offices are in Kansas City hitting all the hot button issues. More from Laura Ziegler.

An economist with the National Petroleum Institute told member of the National Association of State Energy Offices that the average household could expect to see their heating bills go up by several five to six hundred dollars this winter because of higher fuel prices.

They also are hearing about states are doing to promote alternative sources of energy such as wind and nuclear power, and they will tour a Missouri GM plant making Saturn and Malibu hybrid cars.

Chairman of NASEO, Dub Taylor from Texas, says one of their goals is to urge the federal government to work more closely with states.

Taylor says,"What we see over and over is that states are a laboratory forfeeral policy weather renewable energy program or a building code. Where successes at the state level, we would like to see those successes translated into other states and ultimately into federal policy."

Tomorrow, an official with the U.S. state department will sign an agreement with the association aimed at increasing energy and technical exports to the Asia Pacific countries. © Copyright 2009, kcur