McCain touts Palin's energy experience: report

ST. PAUL (Reuters) - Sen. John McCain on Wednesday touted Sarah Palin's experience in charge of Alaska's energy resources as evidence that she was prepared to serve as America's commander in chief.

In an interview with ABC's "World News," McCain repeatedly mentioned that his vice presidential pick had been in charge of "20 percent of America's energy supply" when she served in Alaska's natural resources agency.

"And one of the key elements of America's national security requirements are energy," he said. "She understands the energy issues better than anybody I know in Washington, D.C."

A portion of Palin's speech at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday was to address energy policy, according to advance excerpts.

"Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we're going to lay more pipelines ... build more nuclear plants ... create jobs with clean coal ... and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal and other alternative sources," Palin said.

"We need American energy resources, brought to you by American ingenuity, and produced by American workers."

(Writing by Emily Kaiser, editing by Jackie Frank)