From alternative resource projects to the Keystone XL pipeline, energy proposals from both political parties often fail for lack of bipartisan support. Consequently, a party usually needs to control both houses of Congress before such proposals can be enacted. But leaders of Securing America’s Future Energy, a nonpartisan advocacy group, hope to break this stalemate with an approach they believe could receive support from Democrats and Republicans alike.

The SAFE proposal would allow oil and gas extraction on some federal lands, and also help develop alternative energy sources. “As we open up new federal lands for new drilling, we need to divert some of that new revenue to research and development to accelerate the use of some of these alternatives,” said Ken Blackwell, a senior adviser to SAFE and former Ohio Secretary of State.