在最後一次總統候選人辯論會中，民主黨候選人伊利諾州參議員歐巴馬和共和黨候選人亞利桑那州參議員麥肯對於國內的議題提出辯論，包括稅收、經濟、健康照護、教育等方面，尤其在能源政策上多所著墨。
麥肯把重點放在核能和外海鑽探，以期使美國達到能源自主，他並且表示會取消現有對乙醇製造的補貼。
麥肯說：「我反對補助乙醇，因為我認為它將扭曲市場，且造成通貨膨脹。歐巴馬參議員支持這些補助，而我將會免除由巴西進口甘蔗生質乙醇的關稅。」
歐巴馬支持淨煤科技，及安全的核能和美國生產的太陽能、風力、地熱和其他可再生能源科技。歐巴馬簡單說明他的計畫是希望美國能夠終止對國外石油的依賴。
歐巴馬表示「要知道，我們需要全世界石油量的25%，但是我們產量只有3-4%，這表示我們不能光靠鑽油來解決問題。這也是為什麼我會將焦點放在由太陽、風力、生物柴油、地熱而來的資源。」「如果我們能成功，那麼我們不只是能夠達到能源獨立，甚至能夠在全美創造500萬個工作機會，包括我們可以在中心地帶改裝一些廠房用以生產高燃油效率的車子，也可以建造風力發電機和太陽能電廠等潔淨能源，讓我們的經濟形態邁向下一個世紀。」
在進入辯論時，蓋洛普的民調顯示歐巴馬的支持度以49%領先麥肯的43%。
其他在辯論時所作的民調出爐，都宣佈歐巴馬將會是贏家。
In their final debate of the election campaign, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Senator John McCain of Arizona, the Republican nominee, sparred over domestic issues - taxes, the economy, health care, education - and particularly energy policy.
McCain put the emphasis on nuclear power and offshore drilling to achieve energy independence for the United States and says he would eliminate existing subsidies for ethanol production.
"I opposed subsidies for ethanol because I thought it distorted the market and created inflation. Senator Obama supported those subsidies," said McCain. "I would eliminate the tariff on imported sugarcane-based ethanol from Brazil."
Obama supports clean coal technology, nuclear development as long as it is safe, and U.S. production of solar, wind, geothermal and other renewable energy technologies.
Obama outlined his plan to wean the United States off foreign oil dependence.
"But understand," Obama said, "we only have three to four percent of the world's oil reserves and we use 25 percent of the world's oil, which means that we can't drill our way out of the problem. And that's why I focused on putting resources into solar, wind, biodiesel, geothermal."
"If we can get that right, then we can move in a direction not only of energy independence but we can create five million new jobs all across America," he said, "including in the heartland, where we can retool some of these plants to make these highly fuel-efficient cars, and also to make wind turbines and solar panels, the kinds of clean energy approaches that should be the driver of our economy for the next century."
Going into the debate, the Gallup Poll put Obama in the lead at 49 percent to McCain's 43 percent.
But other polls on the debate are out, and they declare Obama to be the winner.
