The issue of energy provided some heat to the race for Ohio's 7th Congressional District seat Thursday.

State Sen. Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek) is running against attorney Sharen Neuhardt (D-Yellow Springs) to replace retiring U.S. Rep. David Hobson (R-Springfield.)

The melee started with Austria's campaign calling on Neuhardt to release her energy plan. In the end, both candidates fell in for their respective party's energy plan, with Austria supporting the Republican-backed American Energy Act, and Neuhardt going for the Democratic Party's "New Energy for America" plan.

The Austria campaign pointed out Austria's support for the American Energy Act and hit Neuhardt for being quoted as saying, "We can't drill our way out of this problem."

Austria campaign manager Brad Mascho said that Austria supported the American Energy Act, which includes "responsible drilling, alternative energy and energy conservation."

"While Senator Austria has been meeting with constituents in all 8 counties in the Congressional District who want lower gas prices and American energy, his opponent has denied real solutions to our crisis," Mascho said. "Solving the energy crisis will take leadership, not sound bites. So far, Sharen Neuhardt has only opposed relief at the gas pump. Voters deserve to know if she will use responsible leadership in the way that Senator Austria has and fight for American solutions to our energy crisis."

The Neuhardt campaign responded by hitting Austria on his voting record.

"While America's working families struggle with skyrocketing energy costs, Austria has done nothing to deliver a real fix," Neuhardt spokesperson Jessica Kershaw said. "In fact, Austria has denied Ohioans a real solution to our energy crisis."

The Neuhardt campaign hit Austria for voting "to raise Ohio's gas tax," voting "against an ethanol and biofuel grant program that would have helped create jobs and helped Ohio farmers,"  voting "against requiring a portion of our state's electricity to come from renewable sources," and voting "against increasing energy efficiency in our state buildings."

The American Energy Act, supported by Austria, would:

• Allow oil and natural gas exploration on the Arctic coastal plain and deep water ocean while establishing a trust fund for revenues generated from this exploration;
• Cut red tape which has hindered the construction of new refineries;
• Provide tax incentives for purchasing fuel efficient vehicles and improving home energy efficiency;
• Further the expansion of nuclear power production;
• Permanently extend the alternative energy production tax credit.

The Democrats' New Energy for America, supported by Neuhardt, aims to:

• Create 5 million new green jobs by investing $150 billion in green technology over the next 10 years;
• Reduce our dependence on foreign oil by saving in the next 10 years more oil than we currently import from OPEC countries;
• Place 1 million American-made, plug-in hybrid cars on our country's highways by 2015; and
• Mandate 10 percent of our nation's electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012 with an increase to 25 percent by 2025.