Energy Independence
Energy Independence
The United States is the highest consumer of energy in the world today, using approximately a quarter of the planet’s fuel resources, including oil and natural gas, a trend which seems destined to continue for decades to come given current population and energy consumption projections for the rest of the century.
Most of this energy comes from foreign countries, especially oil exporting nations like Saudi Arabia and other Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) members. There is a contentious ongoing debate over the direction the United States is taking with regard to its energy policy during this century, one which has both sides looking at energy independence for America in the long term. There are many compelling reasons why this would be a desirable end, including national security, price, availability and strengthening American exports of energy. Others cite the clean, low environmental impact eventual use of alternative energy sources as a prime reason to “get off” foreign resources. Despite decades of declarations by public officials to become more energy independent, however, it has yet to happen. Part of this stems from the relative ease with which foreign nations have produced fuels such as oil and natural gas, two prime resources which power America’s large, dynamic economy. Another factor is the relatively low price of these fuels overall. Despite spikes in gas prices in recent decades, oil remains a relatively affordable fuel for the United States to import, creating less incentive to spend money domestically to develop more sources for oil.
Many experts in global energy resources are challenging this view in recent years, citing many reasons in support of America’s ability to become more energy independent while retaining the use of many of its current fuels.
The U.S. Department of Energy cites the abundance of shale formations in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming—part of the so-called Green River Formation—which it estimates could yield nearly two trillion barrels of oil if extracted, a number a Rand Corporation study cautioned would be around 800 billion barrels. Supporters of extracting existing resources from domestic sources—such as “shale oil”—contend both studies vigorously support the need to explore and develop energy in the United States, becoming less dependent on foreign suppliers.
Natural gas is another shale-centered fuel that has experts making a strong case for energy independence. Recent findings show there are massive swaths of shale rock rich in natural gas from Louisiana and Texas up through Tennessee to New York and Michigan, sources that if extracted could yield additional natural gas supplies for years to come. The northern Louisiana segment of this 2009 discovery—called the “Haynesville Shale”—could yield as much as 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (33 billion barrels of oil at current U.S. usage). A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) research study, published last year, found natural gas—known for its cheap and clean-burning attributes—residing within America’s borders rich enough for over 90 years worth of energy.
Another appealing effect of energy independence, especially in the area of natural gas and oil—is the creation of jobs, something which historically is highly likely with the advent of any new industrial development. New technologies in drilling for gas and oil have been shown to be not only positive overall for the environment when compared to older, traditional methods, but also “employment engines” as the widespread and increased use of these new technologies would require more qualified people to oversee their operation at numerous levels of production. This could involve technicians, operators, scientists, and construction companies—key for the building of any new plants required for more energy production.
The argument for energy independence is different from “alternative” energy support, which calls for fuels powered by solar and wind technologies, which certainly exist and have shown effective uses over the years. However, both remain relatively expensive to establish on the scale of a country the size of the United States, not to mention one with its rate of energy consumption. Oil and natural gas exist right now and the United States has experienced, successful industries adept at extracting current untapped supplies of these resources, which could go a long way toward making good on a promise which has eluded America for decades—energy independence.