As the United States faces an energy reliance crisis that threatens the long-term welfare of the Nation, the Reform Institute espouses an approach to energy policy reform that considers all options available to reduce reliance on foreign sources. Energy policy must be developed even-handedly while maintaining the best interests of the Nation, regardless of political constituencies. The Reform Institute seeks to explore and express the realities of reducing reliance with clarity and concision. This paper illustrates the necessities and realities for achieving successful, diverse, and enduring future energy sources by offering a comprehensive review of all components of the U.S. energy portfolio, as well as the necessary policy considerations
and realities of each.

The United States is in the midst of an energy reliance crisis. Whether the price of a barrel of oil is $150 or $30, American reliance and demand on foreign sources of energy present a profound threat to our long-term security. Calls for the United States to reduce the amount of imported oil are shortsighted in that they disregard the fact that this crisis is caused more by our need for oil than by the quantities we import. There is no simple or quick solution to restraining our reliance on foreign oil. An absolute transformation in how we use and produce energy will be required to reduce our reliance on foreign sources while ensuring a reliable supply of energy to meet the needs of 21st Century America.

Developing a sustainable energy system is critical to maintaining America’s competitive edge and global leadership. Reliable energy has been essential to the Nation’s ascendancy into a world power; it is the foundation upon which our industry and economy have been built. However, recent economic volatility, failed and inadequate policy directives, projected future demand for energy, and mounting global competition for the same “pot” of energy resources have amounted to a perfect storm that threatens our access to cheap and abundant energy and, therefore, our global standing. This confluence of perils evokes a greater global parity within the global marketplace – a more competitive and consequently less dominant status for the United States.

The good news – an enormous opportunity exists for the United States to take the requisite steps to reverse its downward energy spiral and reduce, if not eliminate, reliance on unfriendly foreign energy sources and strengthen national resilience. It is important that policy makers move quickly and comprehensively in the energy sector, setting aside partisan and parochial interests to put policy over politics for the long-term welfare of the Nation.

Developing a comprehensive energy policy with broad support will require placing all the options on the table and assessing them realistically.  Generating more energy from renewable sources within the United States must be a major objective, but that goal cannot be attained overnight, nor should it be pursued exclusive of other objectives with greater impact. The U.S. must devise a way to bridge the gap between our current untenable situation and a brighter future; doing so will require tapping into the resources presently available to us.

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