High gas prices are killing Georgia's shrimping industry, making farmers more reluctant to use their tractors and, if unchecked, will lead to higher property taxes.

So Georgia must become a leader in alternative fuels, state officials said at a Capitol "Rally for Energy Independence" Wednesday.

"We are committed to working in concert with the federal government to put Georgia on the map as a state leading the way in providing our citizens alternative fuel sources and lower energy costs," said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.

Senate Natural Resources Chairman Ross Tolleson (R-Perry) called on Congress to devise, "a solid 20-year energy strategy that incorporates every alternative energy option to reduce our dependence on oil."

That includes increasing the output of nuclear power, increasing the use of solar wind and fuel cell technologies and promoting "responsible conservative efforts," said Tolleson.

To underscore the severity of the current crisis, John Wallace, president of the Georgia Shrimp Association, said some shrimpers are now paying more for a gallon of gas than they are earning from selling a pound of shrimp.

Ashley Widener, a member of the Fulton County School board, said higher diesel prices and food costs could force school systems to raise taxes.

"In Georgia we need our tax dollars flowing directly into our classrooms and into the future of our state and country rather than into the pockets of oil-producing nations," Widener said.

Cagle touted a series of steps the state has already taken to address the energy crisis. The state provides temporary sales tax exemptions for the construction alternative fueling stations.

In June, Gov. Sonny Perdue announced that the state's first solar manufacturing plant is coming to Norcross.