[cvillebiodiesel] US Democrats Seek Energy Independence by 2020
- From: "Blue Ridge Clean Fuels" <brcfi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "VA Biofuels Forum list" <biofuels-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2005 20:24:34 -0500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
NEW YORK - US Democrats launched a plan Monday for energy independence by
2020 that seeks to relieve historically high oil and gas prices by cutting
reliance on foreign sources of energy.
New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and Pennsylvania's
Gov. Ed Rendell said greater use of renewable energy, mass transit and
domestic fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel could cut oil and gas imports.
A plan they unveiled Monday is called Energy Independence 2020.
President Bush is seeking more domestic production of oil by pushing
Congress to include opening Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil
drilling in a bill that could see a vote this week. He also supports heavy
investment in hydrogen energy.
Some energy analysts say the United States, which consumes about a quarter
of the 80 million barrels of oil the world uses daily, will be dependent on
imports for many decades into the future because alternatives only provide a
percentage point or two of the country's energy.
Last week homeowners suffered record prices for natural gas as a nationwide
cold spike pushed the heating and cooking fuel to above $15 per million
British thermal units. Analysts say low temperatures through December could
keep a fire under prices.
US oil hit a record over $70 a barrel this summer. They have since fallen as
supplies swelled but prices rose above $60 Monday as the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries paved the way for a cut in output early next
year.
Rendell cited Brazil, which has slashed its dependence on crude by making
fuel from sugar cane and by producing cars that run on gasoline or ethanol.
"If Brazil can do it, so can we," he Rendell.
In unveiling the plan, Clinton told reporters that US dependence on oil
makes up one third of the country's trade deficit.
The US spends $50 billion a year to deploy US forces in the Mideast Gulf and
to supply military assistance to countries to secure the flow of oil to the
United States, Clinton told reporters. "And that does not include the lives
and dollars we are spending in Iraq," she said.
Robert Ebel, the head the energy program at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies in Washington, said the huge number of cars and
service stations that currently make up the US energy infrastructure make
dubious the goal of energy independence in 15 years.
He said politicians called for energy independence in 1990. But since then
oil imports have risen about 10 percentage points. "We have to recognize
that oil producers and consumers need each other. What we need is more
energy interdependence, not energy independence."
He said the money the United States sends abroad to procure oil "is an
expense that the US bears to keep the world going ahead in ... economic
terms."
While the US has crude and heating oil reserves, more supply safeguards
could be on the horizon. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman has said in recent
weeks that the White House was preparing a new US energy plan that could
include creating emergency stockpiles of natural gas and gasoline.
Story by Timothy Gardner
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
Story Date: 14/12/2005
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/34011/story.htm
**************************VIRGINIA BIOFUELS FORUM**************************
Your email address is subscribed to the Virginia Biofuels Forum mailing list.
The list is maintained by Blue Ridge Clean Fuels Inc. (BRCFI). To UNSUBSCRIBE
go to //www.freelists.org/list/biofuels-forum and select that option from
the menu.
PRIVACY POLICY: BRCF does not sell, rent or donate this mailing list to outside
parties.
List Administrator: BRCFI@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Charlottesville BioDiesel List **************************
To Post to the list, email: cvillebiodiesel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To UnSubscribe, email: cvillebiodiesel-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
"Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
To Subscribe, email: cvillebiodiesel-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with the word
"subscribe" in the subject line.
Questions about how to use the list?
//www.freelists.org/help/faq.html
List Administrator: gstaengl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Other related posts:
- » [cvillebiodiesel] US Democrats Seek Energy Independence by 2020
