Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Energy independence

Obama’s plan has a strong mix of approaches to move the nation forward

With gas prices continuing to rise, President Barack Obama on Wednesday laid out a multifaceted energy plan designed to provide stability for the nation that would cut oil consumption and expand alternative fuels.

Obama noted the effect of high gas prices, which could threaten the nation’s economic recovery. “In an economy that relies on oil, rising prices at the pump affect everybody — workers and farmers; truck drivers and restaurant owners,” Obama said. “Businesses see it hurt their bottom line. Families feel the pinch when they fill up their tank. For Americans already struggling to get by, it makes life that much harder.”

But just as fuel prices affect everyone, it will take everyone to address the problem. America will have to change its ways to start weaning itself from oil.

The president is calling for the country to reduce its oil consumption by a third over the next 14 years. Cutting that much oil use would be a major benefit to the country — that’s roughly the amount of oil that the United States imports from the Middle East and Northern Africa, where unrest has led to price increases.

Among Obama’s proposals for cutting oil consumption:

• Increasing fuel efficiency standards for vehicles, including commercial vans, trucks and buses.

• Investing in new technologies and encouraging the use of electric vehicles with tax incentives.

• Expanding the use of biofuels and natural gas for vehicles.

Under the president’s plan, the federal government will lead the way. The government has already doubled its use of hybrid vehicles in its 600,000-vehicle fleet. But by 2015, it would purchase only alternative fuel vehicles, including electric and hybrids.

Obama also said he wanted to expand oil and gas drilling as a way to lessen the nation’s reliance on foreign oil. But referring to last year’s disastrous spill in the Gulf of Mexico, he said he would encourage “safe and responsible” offshore oil drilling, noting new safety regulations the administration has put in place. As well, he said the Interior Department was working to develop incentives to encourage oil companies to drill. He said his administration had approved two new permits for every well being drilled, and an administration review of federal offshore oil leases showed that 70 percent were not being explored or developed.

But Obama said drilling by itself is not the long-term solution. The country simply doesn’t have enough oil. “The only way for America’s energy supply to be truly secure is by permanently reducing our dependence on oil,” he said. “We have to find ways to boost our efficiency so that we use less oil. We have to discover and produce cleaner, renewable sources of energy with less of the carbon pollution that threatens our climate. And we have to do it quickly.”

Indeed.

Obama acknowledged his push isn’t new. Presidents since Richard Nixon have been calling for the nation to reduce its dependence on foreign oil, and the nation has taken several important steps to improve. Yet the problem still remains.

The president’s plan provides a good balance of approaches and it would move the country toward the right goal. Congress should support it.

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