President Obama calling for energy measures to reduce US oil imports
6 April 2011
During a speech at Georgetown University on March 30, US President Obama outlined his energy security plan, calling for a variety of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures designed to reduce US oil imports by one-third by 2025.
The administration’s “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future” includes a number of clean energy avenues that should be pursued to achieve that objective. Some of the important policy directions are:
- Expanding domestic oil and gas development and production.
- Securing access to diverse and reliable sources of energy: The US is acting in the international arena to moderate global oil demand and secure additional supplies of liquid fuels and clean energy.
- Developing alternatives to oil:
- Biofuels: Expanding biofuels markets and commercializing new biofuels technologies, such as promising cellulosic and advanced biofuels technologies.
- Natural gas: To ensure that NG resources are developed safely and responsibly, the administration is focused on increasing transparency about the use of fracking chemicals, and launching a new initiative to develop recommendations for shale extraction practices that will ensure the protection of public health and the environment.
- Cutting costs at the pump with more efficient cars and trucks: The fuel economy standards for model years 2012-16 will raise average fuel economy for light-duty vehicles to 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. In July, the administration will finalize the first-ever national fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards for commercial trucks.
- Paving the way for advanced vehicles: The President has set an ambitious goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.
- Leading by example with the federal fleet: The president called for administrative action directing agencies to ensure that all new vehicles purchased by 2015 will be hybrid or electric vehicles (EVs).
Additionally, the energy strategy calls for a number of measures promoting investments in energy efficiency for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Source: The White House (Fact Sheet | Energy Blueprint)