There's no time like the present to adopt a new energy policy for the state. With high prices at the pump, Hawai'i seems primed as never before for a critical review of our dependence on fossil fuels.

And with an increasingly receptive electorate as a backdrop, Republicans have come on line with a proposal that merits serious review as part of a bipartisan push away from that dependence.

Finally. Legislators putting public interest before party politics. Up to this point, commitment to alternative energy options has been patchy and has tended to be purely partisan. GOP leaders admit that most of the ideas presented last week aren't new and that a concerted move toward alternative fuels should have been under way 25 years ago.

The classically Republican approach here is to offer tax breaks and other state incentives to encourage consumer and company investment in hybrid cars, energy-efficient appliances, solar energy and biodiesel and hydrogen power.

Not all of the ideas are likely to pan out. For example, a proposal to admit hybrid car drivers into HOV lanes with just a single occupant offers diminishing returns. Looser restrictions in the zipper lane already have drawn complaints that the expressway is clogging — not much of an incentive for would-be car buyers.

Democrats complain that Republicans have opposed their energy initiatives; in the recent past, a bill to encourage the state to use hybrid cars in its fleet became law without GOP support and without the governor's signature.

Democrats need to get over it — it's time to move forward.

Republican Sen. Fred Hemmings acknowledged that government spending on more expensive technologies has not been in the GOP game plan. But he noted correctly that high energy costs have raised the premium on becoming more self-sufficient.

Additionally, fuels such as biodiesel offer the double benefit of being renewable, as well as being cheaper than the oil-derived equivalent. Growing crops that can be converted into biodiesel also would help diversify Hawai'i agriculture.

Democratic Sen. Ron Menor, the consumer protection chairman, has said he would consider the proposals. He should live up to that promise. It's time for lawmakers to find common ground and sensible solutions here. Conserving energy in a climate of soaring energy costs is a critical issue that affects taxpayers across the board.