Journey to Energy Independence
Independence means —
“Freedom from control: freedom from dependence
on or control by another person, organization, or state”
— Microsoft Encarta
Dictionary
 “The
most direct way to reduce our dependency on foreign oil is to simply
use less of it, starting with the cars and trucks we drive. Nearly
70 percent of our oil use is for transportation, and more than 65 percent
of that amount is for personal vehicles... energy independence means changing
how we power our cars and trucks from foreign oil to new American-made
fuels and batteries.”
— Nobel physicist Steven
Chu, former U.S. Secretary of Energy
From an economic point of view, Energy Independence means
energy security (supply and price stability); an objective that
can be achieved
through the development of alternative transportation fuels and
multi-fuel vehicles (including electric),
which would give consumers an opportunity to choose a non-petroleum
fuel at the pump.
Today, over 80 percent of world petroleum reserves are state-owned — controlled
by countries that have the power to manipulate supply and price
with impunity — this fact goes directly to the heart of energy security.
Energy Independence is a powerful verbal icon, originally
conceived and defined in the context of the 1973 Arab oil embargo.
The phrase “Energy Independence” is
a verbal icon embodying an idea that resonates
with the character of America—it is a call for return
to economic balance and protection from vulnerability created
by over-dependence on petroleum to fuel our cars, trucks and airplanes.
Seventy percent of all oil consumed in the USA is used
for transportation fuel—gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
U.S. Electric Utility Companies responded to the threat of the
1973 Arab oil embargo by replacing petroleum fuel oil with USA coal,
nuclear
energy and natural gas to
power their generators. The USA no longer depends on petroleum
to generate electricity for the power grid.
The U.S. Automobile industry must do
today what the U.S. Electric Utility industry did 40 years
ago — Kick the oil habit!
American Energy Independence will be achieved when American drivers
have the choice to fill their cars and trucks with non-petroleum
fuels. Today, cars and trucks use gasoline and diesel made from
petroleum. Technology exists today that can enable all cars and
trucks to run on USA produced synthetic fuels (alcohol or diesel),
natural gas, biofuels, and electricity.
American Energy Independence will lead to global energy independence
The United States is a world leader. The nations of the world
look to the United States for leadership. American Energy Independence
is about world leadership.
A few economists and advocates of global free trade have voiced a
narrow view of energy independence, claiming that it will mean a retreat
from global economic interdependence, a direction that would disrupt
the global free market and lead America toward economic and political
isolation. Their view is not true.
The United States does not need zero foreign oil
imports to be energy independent. There is no reason to end oil
imports from Canada and Mexico. Energy independence is not about
protectionism.
Energy independence does
not mean closed borders or economic isolation. Energy
independence will be achieved by producing abundant and affordable
alternative transportation fuels through advanced technology
that will enable all countries to do the same. American
Energy Independence will lead
to global
energy independence.
The world consumes over 85
million barrels of oil every day (over
30 billion barrels per year). The USA alone consumes over 20 million
barrels per day (over 7 billion barrels per year). At $100 per barrel,
global petroleum revenue exceeds three trillion dollars
per year.
Development of alternative fuels on a scale large enough
to free the global economy from dependence on oil, as the world's
primary source of
transportaion fuel, will create a seismic shift within
the economic foundation of the world.
American Energy Independence will create hundreds of billions of dollars in
new wealth resulting in new jobs and economic stimulus not seen since the World
War II civilian work force mobilized behind the war effort.
American Energy Independence will be achieved when all cars, trucks
and buses on U.S. highways — boats, ships and barges on U.S. waterways — aircraft
flying U.S. airways — trains on U.S. railways — and off-road recreational,
construction and farm vehicles, are powered by transportation fuels made
in the USA from non-petroleum U.S. resources.
Reference links:
1973 oil embargo
Total World oil consumption
U.S. Energy Information Administration
OPEC Oil Export Revenues — U.S. EIA Fact Sheet
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