research summary
A National Strategy for Energy Security
Hostile state actors, insurgents, and terrorists have made clear their intention to use oil as a strategic weapon against the United States. Steadily rising global oil prices add to the danger by exacerbating tensions among consuming nations. And even in the absence of full-blown geopolitical crises, oil dependence, with its incumbent exporting of American wealth, exacts a tremendous financial toll on our country. Last but not least, excessive reliance on oil constrains the totality of U.S. foreign policy and burdens a U.S. military that stands constantly ready as the protector of last resort for the vital arteries of the global oil economy.
The Energy Security Leadership Council believes that America’s energy security can be fundamentally improved through major reductions in oil demand and increases in domestic energy production. Above all, we must transform our transportation sector so that oil is no longer its primary fuel. The Council’s recommendations reflect the realities of global energy interdependence as well as the promise of American ingenuity.
Taken as a whole, our proposals constitute a comprehensive and integrated plan for achieving a safer energy future for America. We fully expect that all participants in this deeply entrenched debate will take issue with some of our solutions. Our mission is to secure the support of a bipartisan coalition that has the vision to identify—and the courage to sustain—difficult choices.
