Obama’s Ambitious Goal: Cut Oil Imports by One-Third
- Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:23am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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Editor’s note: this story originally contained live video of the president’s speech. It has been updated with a relevant story.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to show the public he understands the burden of rising gas prices, President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal of reducing U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025, and vowed to break through the political gridlock that has stymied similar initiatives for decades.
“Presidents and politicians of every stripe have promised energy independence but that promise has so far gone unmet,” Obama said Wednesday during a speech on energy at Georgetown University.
“That has to change. We cannot keep going from shock to trance on the issue of energy security, rushing to propose action when gas prices rise, then hitting the snooze button when they fall again,” he said.
Obama touted a series of initiatives – some new, but many he’s previously announced – that he said would boost domestic oil production, increase the use of biofuels and natural gas, and make vehicles more energy efficient. And he embraced nuclear power as part of America’s energy future, despite increased safety concerns following the earthquake and tsunami in Japan that severely damaged a nuclear power plant there.
Obama said he is determined to ensure that nuclear plants in the U.S. are safe, and has ordered a safety review of all facilities that will incorporate lessons learned from the crisis in Japan.
The president spoke against the backdrop of rising gas prices following unrest in the oil-rich Middle East. Gas prices in the U.S. have shot up 50 cents a gallon this year, reaching a national average of $3.58 a gallon last week, according to AAA’s daily survey.
Republicans have blamed Obama’s policies for the rising gas prices, pointing to the slow pace of issuing permits for new offshore oil wells in the wake of last summer’s massive Gulf of Mexico spill and an Obama-imposed moratorium on new deep-water exploration.
The president struck back at that criticism Wednesday, saying his administration has approved 39 shallow water drilling permits since new standards were put in place last year, and seven new deep-water drilling permits in recent weeks.
“So any claim that my administration is responsible for gas prices because we’ve shut down oil production might make for a useful political sound bite, but doesn’t track with reality,” Obama said.
Obama said a significant part of his plans to cut U.S. oil imports would depend on further increases in domestic production, and he pledged to develop new incentives for companies to speed up oil and gas production on current and future leases. An Interior Department report released Tuesday said more than two-thirds of offshore leases in the Gulf of Mexico are sitting idle, neither producing oil and gas nor being actively explored by the companies who hold the leases. The department said those leases could potentially hold more than 11 billion barrels of oil and 50 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
Even if Obama’s efforts can reduce U.S. demand for foreign oil, experts say that’s unlikely to bring down the cost of gasoline, since oil is priced globally and increased demand from China and other developing nations continues to push prices up. A longer-term energy strategy, he said, would also depend on boosting the use of alternative energy sources, including natural gas and biofuels.
“We have to discover and produce cleaner, renewable sources of energy,” Obama said. “And we have to do it quickly.”
Obama called for the construction of four new advanced biofuel plants in the U.S. within the next two years. However, advanced biofuels – fuels made from non-food sources such as wood chips, switch grass or plant waste – are still in their infancy and cannot yet be made in amounts similar to corn ethanol. Congress has directed more money to research and development of those fuels in recent years as some critics of corn ethanol have linked the diversion of corn for fuel to rising food prices.
The president also ordered government agencies to ensure that by 2015, all new vehicles they purchase are alternative-fuel vehicles, including hybrid and electric. Obama has previously set a goal of putting 1 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015.
Administration officials said Obama’s plans would require significant spending on research and development, though they offered no cost estimates.
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Comments (129)
Young Entrepreneur
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:53amI visited the White house’s website the other day and I found that our founding father George Washington warned us of the very characteristics of Obama… It’s amazing to learn how far ahead our founders STILL are of our times!
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:52amBlah, blah, blah, lie, lie, lie, etc..Love how he introduced his staff of liars and fellow “Barackracy” members. I’m so sick of this charlaton(sorry bout the spelling). 2012 will not come soon enough.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:52amThere is not enough real-estate in AMERICA for wind turbines. It costs twice as much to produce energy from corn or other plants. Solar panels work real well until hail storms come through or its cloudy. Cutting our oil dependence will only happen when we run out of oil. Then we will work to find another source of energy. Just like natural gas, We have more than enough to keep us going and he never says anything about that.
Report Post »nacilbuper
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:51amGather round everyone, gather round. I have some snake oil to sell you…
Report Post »hillbillyinny
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:51amThey just found new oil reserves–where WE used to drill!
Report Post »LadyLiberty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:56amYep and he won’t lift the moratorium. Instead, he’s cutting our oil imports by 1/3.
Report Post »Ellbee
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:49amScum. Never watch. Turns my stomach, ruins my day.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:48amHow can a substance run out when you don’t use it?
Report Post »freedumb1
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:47amThe only long term energy policy is defeat Obama in 2012
Report Post »i want the truth
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:46amHe wants to invest in the EPA which will eventually take away More JOBS!! Then we will use more Ethonal. Which will shut down the farmers. I mean how can the American people not connect the dots. I am so sick of the Press not asking Mr. Obama some Real Questions. I am banning all channels except for the Blaze and Fox. Can you trust anyone else to get the Truth???
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:45amI’m listening to the speech, trying hard not to lose my breakfast….. the man is a complete idiot and lying thru his teeth.
Report Post »NomoObama
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:33pmMom: you are so right. He is weird and maybe pretty dumb actually.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:45amHis policy, like all liberal policies, can be described as make the rich, richer, poor, poorer, and destroy the middle class.
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:44amPresident is telling us that we are here to kill the oil industry. We are here to support the UNIONS, and destroy AMERICA. They are going to make it so that the poor will have to walk to work and beg for food. He could care less about AMERICANS, and the only ones buying into this crap is the fools that follow him.
Report Post »jim
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:44amGas is 5$ a gallon… he’s talking about his brackets?? He encourages South American countries to drill for oil so we can buy it, and denies us the right to drill on our own soil?? Typical of this pretender. Tragic for the rest of us.
Report Post »Tusker
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:43amWatch what he does, not what he says. What he says has always been a lie.
Report Post »brntout
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 3:34pmYes that old catchy Kerry tune “I was for it before i was against it ,let me be clear.
Report Post »dgremark12
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:42amWatch him talk out both sides of his face! Worthless POS
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:40amGod is present, no shout out to Him? What kind of Christian is Barack Hussein Obama Jr?
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:49pmHe’s not a Christian. He’s already said that he will stand with the Muslims. He’s never said, “This is a Christian nation.” He did not declare a National Prayer Day. He bows to Muslims.
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:39amblah,blah,blah.lies,lies,and more lies. is policy is to screw every american and screw them some more,all but G.E. and any other communist supporting company.
Report Post »TERMLIMITSNOW
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:38amWhat is the point of a live broadcast at 11 am??? Obviously speaking to his supporters on the dole, not the hard working Americans.
Report Post »chickenlittle
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:45amUnion contract workers get to go home and watch live …oops… I just repeated what you said, sorry.
Report Post »Creestof
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:37amThey did a wonderful job cropping out the giant flashing “APPLAUSE” and “CHEER” Lights.
Report Post »chickenlittle
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:36amAnd why, exactly, would I want to watch this live?
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:45pmIt’s better than watching it “dead.”
Report Post »nacilbuper
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:36amAnd, uhh, I I I will send money to Brazil, and uuhh we will buy the oil from them. Uhhh this will make George Soros more money, allowing him to take over the world.
I will also make sure that gas goes to 4 dollars uhh, gallon, there by allowing GM to sell more votes. And… uhhh I will also give anybody 7500 dollars of your money to buy one of those crappy volts.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:35amI already know about his energy policy. He wants to regulate everyhing, make prices go up, fill the pockets of his friends, and bring America down even more.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 3:40pmAnd don’t forget the new TAX YOUR ODOMETER plan which taxes mileage which exceeds what some Federal Government bureaucrat thinks you should be driving every year.
Report Post »run42k
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:33amThe teleprompters are in place…what are we waiting for?
Report Post »GdavidH
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:55pmReally…Just let us read the TOTUS and BHO has no reason to speak.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 5:24pmDOPUS demands a 1/3 cut in energy…..wow that is so cool…..when is the tsunami coming….
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:32amI’m writing this before it starts , punish the oil companies , we must “invest” in future renewable energy, EPA , carbon emissions , Chevy Dolt , now I must compare and contrast as Bam pukes out his lines .
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:46am@hersey10,are you an insider or a mind reader/??? dang it you are good, how about predicting when soros and obama will try and take the rest of our freedoms and guns away. again,you are good.are you in the physic business??? { ha ,ha, funny funny,” but you peg it same crap different day.
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:53amWill someone please tell the president he signed the moritorim until he could get new rules and red tape to prevent drilling? He seems to have forgotten that…again. His blueprint for energy is to make sure other countries make money off US taxpayers. Also, make sure he sees a nozzle at the gas pumps, those dam solar and wind units don’t fit our cars. Does this guy know his ineptness in the gulf is his baby?
Report Post »jdog777
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:32pmBefore I start viewing…. “Energy prices will necessarily skyrocket under my plan” Barrack Hussein Obama. I am quite certain that it all adds up to this.
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:57pm@commonsenseguy Honestly I just pay attention to what he says every time he opens his mouth and what his admin is pushing and as you know , what he says the opposite almost always happens . I appreciate the compliment !
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 4:35pmReduce U.S. Middle East Foreign policy by 2/3rds will decrease world demand because our presence, which stimulates chaos is what drives up the cost of crude. In my opinion.
Report Post »Obama Bin Lying
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:31amHe is going to start by explaining his Doctrine…You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in, and you shake it all about. You do the Hokey pokey and turn yourself around….that‘s what it’s all about.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:37amHe’s as full of sh– as a Christmas turkey!
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:38amI’m going to go check my email. I cannot stand to listen to a liar!
Report Post »commonsenseguy
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:41am@obama bi lying. the right foot is stuck up the taxpayers butt,so the left must be up soros’s butt,okay maybe,soros has his hands up obamas butt pulling the strings,
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:44amOh please we know his “energy policy” … what he says and what he does are two totally different things .. he has just started his campaign to get re-elected and will say ANYTHING …
here is the TRUTH watch below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlTxGHn4sH4
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:45amHow can a guy with so little common sense be accused of being so intelligent?
It’s simply astounding!
Report Post »chickenlittle
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:47am@SHOWTIME… your analogy has me not looking forward to Christmas dinner.
Report Post »TSUNAMI-22
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:50amCutting 11 million barrels a year by 1/3 and increasing the price per gallon by 900%, but he never finishes the sentence, does he?
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:52amDrill Baby DRILL!!!!!
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:53amCampaign mode, using “Historical” line.
Report Post »LadyLiberty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:54amNo drilling. Cutting our oil imports by 1/3.
Yes, that should cripple the nation effectively.
Now, let’s get back to work giving al qaeda weapons and letting them come across our unsecured southern border.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:54am@SHOW..
Not watching either .. it is almost lunchtime and I wouldn’t want to spoil it.
Report Post »LadyLiberty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:55amDid he seriously just say that his ban on drilling didn’t cause gas prices to rise??
Report Post »A Doctors Labor Is Not My Right
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:57amBrazil has recenly discovered large oil reserves? You don’t say!
Is one of those large oil reserves in OUR deep waters?
Report Post »stifroc
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:01pmMy middle fingers hurt
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:01pmI was going to watch his “speech” him but I decided to visit with my mother in law for a few more hours…
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:02pm@chickenlittle
Report Post »Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:47am
@SHOWTIME… your analogy has me not looking forward to Christmas dinner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
That was my mother’s expression. Now you understand where I get my mouth!
Obama Bin Lying
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:04pmI really hate to tell the Hokey Pokey Prez, that he is not too bright. If you drill you find more fossil fuel, the more fossil fuel you find, the more gas can be created, the more gas created the more available, the more available the price come down….
I mean it is not rocket science
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:06pmBarack Hussein Obama Jr admitted the world events (for which he organizes) is responsible for high gas prices.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:06pm@LadyLiberty
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:54am
No drilling. Cutting our oil imports by 1/3.
Yes, that should cripple the nation effectively.
Now, let’s get back to work giving al qaeda weapons and letting them come across our unsecured southern border.
Report Post »~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You forgot $700 million going to rebuild mosques overseas!
http://www.wsbtv.com/video/25764282/index.html
That’s the video from WSB-TV about it.
Outrageous!!!
Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:18pmJohn Kerry said months ago that the “global warming” pitch didn’t set well with the American people, that “:we” (Progressives) needed to figure out how to make the skyrocketing of energy costs more palatable so that “we” can get it done. He said that “we” would have to emphasize JOBS, CLEAN ENERGY, and anything to make it more attractive. Wind energy, solar energy, and clean natural gas would be promoted.
The windmills are dangerous, I have learned, because of the blades coming off. Solar energy is a farce because the solar panels have a life limit. He’s said that grants are being made to invest in clean energy. That’s going to raise the cost of our power bills.
This is socialism, folks.
DRILL, baby, DRILL!!!
Report Post »Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:18pmHow many times will hey say “key to our future” in this speech of nothing but pure propaganda? The key to our future is to make sure we never elect another fool socialist like him.
Report Post »Gold Coin & Economic News
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:20pmI just listened to 5 minutes of this speech and it makes me sick. The man is such a LIAR I can’t stand it. If anything he said were even remotely true it would be a miracle.
Report Post »pajamash
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:23pmDid Obama just slap Georgetown University students in the face?!
Report Post »Creestof
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:25pmHmmm…he said “God” and did not burst into flames? Interesting.
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:40pmCut oil imports by 1/3 and cut oil production in the USA by 100%
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:41pm@chickenlittle
Report Post »Posted on March 30, 2011 at 11:47am
@SHOWTIME… your analogy has me not looking forward to Christmas dinner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You mean you are going to be able to AFFORD Christmas dinner?
Rogue
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:50pmI watched part of the speech (unitl I got queasy and had to change the channel). He basically scolded the camera and said there is NOTHING we can do about high gas prices, and gave his economic lecture on supply and demand principles….. He talked about developing oil supply, but not in the USA, while simultanously saying we need to cut our dependancy on foreign sources.
In the portion I heard, there was abosultely no talk of how to stabilize prices or lower costs on fossil fuels. He has no energy policy, except for magical “green” energy development. I may have turned it off too soon – I probably missed the repeated message of his policy that “energy prices will necessarily skyrocket”.
He did give a shout out to Brazil though, so at least the socialists down there have his back… and our money.
Report Post »Curator_JDR
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:50pmObama listens to his Arab and Progressive masters. BIOFUEL is a SCAM. We already use 1/3 of our corn production for biofuel — and all that does is raise food prices and remove corn and corn-products from the world market.
When you watch our pres., you can tell he hates America. Watch a world renowned artist destroy his presidential portrait of Obama while saying what needs to be said. Cathartic. http://www.marcrubin.com/obama.ivnu
Report Post »Deanna in Missouri
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 12:55pmLadyLiberty
Report Post »I believe that they have already crossed the border and are here already. I am sure more are coming over on a regular basis. Any day now we will have suicide attacks by these cowards and feel like we are living in Israel. I wish someone with some cajones and power would call this idiot out and that the msm would pounce on it.
Showtime
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 1:25pmThe entire administration is full of it!
http://www.newswithviews.com/JBWilliams/williams141.htm
Another winner by JB Williams!
Report Post »gman46
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 1:27pmWhat kills me there is ~1.5 Trillion barrels of Oil locked up in oil shale out west, enough to last well over a 200 years at today’s oil usage. For those who will point out that Carter did that and failed, the technology has come far since then.
Take a look for yourselves. http://dailyreckoning.com/oil-shale-reserves/
Then add in the oil sands in Canada have $1.7 Trillion Barrels, up until now very hard to extract except for this little break through,
Report Post »http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110318174921.htm
Allowing for low to no energy extraction process, reducing the cost substantially.
TexasCommonSense
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 1:50pmI loved how he said, “Drill, baby drill didn’t work”, then turned around and said we need to increase domestic production. Huh?
Then, he talked about importing from Brazil, who will be drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the same place where our own drilling has been seriously restricted. Say what?
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 1:56pmOk, explain to me how we are going to reduce oil imports, considering we are currently stopping drilling here and killing off our own oil companies?…..oh, I forgot…..we are all gonna be driving electric cars and powering our homes using wind turbines….provided by his friends at General Electric. Maybe when all that doesn’t work out, we can beg Brazil to sell us some of our own oil that they will soon begin producing from our offshore waters……at a huge profit for them of course.
Report Post »M-O-O-N Spells Moon
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 1:59pmAs I understand it, ethanol is not an efficient fuel when you look into the entire process and the energy required to make it. Biofuels are a great suggestion, as a supplement to petrolium, but they won’t replace natural oil for decades if ever. This message from our president is meaningless except to serve as a warning that he wants to use it to exact further control over our nation. AND make Spooky Dude even richer in the process. Obama is always working against our nation’s best interest. At what point does that become treason?
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 2:37pmHe could stop flying all over the world with Air Force One, that would save a third.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 3:08pmBarack Hussein Obama Jr’s rebels are retreating in Libya so to prolong the crises that forces gas prices to rise.
Report Post »avenger
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 4:43pmso what else is new….
Report Post »David Pasztor
Posted on March 30, 2011 at 6:48pmObama was born a muslim, and that is why he wants to stick it to every american in the butt. It would really make his day to have $10 a gallon gasoline in this country. Next thing you know Obama will team up with Bin Laden so that he can be declared as the 12th Imam. Just wait until they build the VICTORY MOUSQE at ground zero in New York city, Obama will be the first to go there and pray to Allah.
Report Post »