UPDATE 2-McCain pushes energy conservation, oil exploration

(Updates throughout, adds Obama comment; previous SAN ANTONIO)

By Jeff Mason

HOUSTON, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate John McCain called on Tuesday for energy conservation and an end to a ban on U.S. oil and natural gas exploration to help curb the nation's "dangerous" dependence on foreign oil.

Rising oil and gasoline prices have put energy concerns at the center of the contest between McCain and presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama to succeed President George W. Bush in the November election.

McCain has proposed temporarily lifting a tax on gasoline over the summer, but other than that, neither candidate has a quick fix for bringing fuel prices down.

The Arizona senator promised to lay out a specific plan for reaching energy independence in the coming days.

"The straightest, swiftest path to energy security is to produce more, use less, and find new sources of power," McCain said to applause from an enthusiastic crowd in Texas.

One component of a long-term plan will be efficiency. Cutting back on energy usage -- a key strategy of Europe's efforts to fight global warming -- was critical in the United States, McCain said.

"In the face of climate change and other serious challenges, energy conservation is no longer just a moral luxury or a personal virtue," he said. "Conservation serves a critical national goal."