Washington D.C.—As global oil markets and the U.S. shale industry wait for an imminent decision from OPEC on whether to maintain its unprecedented oil production cuts, SAFE President and CEO Robbie Diamond made the following statement:
“Relying on a commodity dominated by countries that do not share our strategic interests is no way to power the world’s largest economy. In an era of stubbornly low oil prices, the fact that the world’s largest oil producer is still dependent on the actions of the OPEC cartel for its continued prosperity punctures the idea that the United States is energy dominant, let alone energy independent.”
As SAFE also notes in its recent report, The Commanding Heights Of Global Transportation, the global transportation system is shifting from a gasoline past to a future that is connected, autonomous, shared and electric—with a supply chain that is dominated by China. If the United States is to make the most of this switch, it cannot repeat the mistakes of dependence upon OPEC policy and become beholden to decisions made in Beijing.
“As the world transitions from petroleum to connected, electric vehicles, we risk making the same mistake again. The United States’ inaction on owning its electric vehicle supply chain, from minerals to markets, means we are currently on course to becoming dependent on China for the technology and transportation that will move people and goods in the 21st century. We must learn from our experience with oil to not become dependent on a nation that does not share our strategic interests for our transportation future,” Diamond added.
Contact: Alex Adams | 202.461.2374 | aadams@secureenergy.org
About SAFE
SAFE enhances the nation’s energy security and supports our economic resurgence and resiliency, by advancing transformative transportation and mobility technologies and ensuring that the United States secures key aspects of the technology supply chain to achieve and maintain our strategic advantage.
In partnership with the Electrification Coalition, SAFE’s sister organization, we work with consumers, businesses, and policymakers, to launch award-winning “real-world” programs and enable the needed polices to accelerate transportation electrification around the country to reduce our Nation’s dependence on oil.
###
