Energy Crisis Continues to Boil7/13/2004
 The Need for Energy Independence
The Problem: Increasing Dependence on Foreign Energy Decreases American Security and Weakens our Economy--
The average price of a gallon of gasoline has increased by 52%, from $1.34 per gallon in 2001 to well over $2 per gallon today.
U.S. imports of oil have increased by more than 10% since 2001.
In 1973, America was 30 percent dependent on foreign oil. Today, the U.S. imports nearly 60 percent of its oil.
The price of a barrel of oil increased by 74%, from just over $23 a barrel in 2001 to more than $40 a barrel recently.
The cost of home heating oil has increased by more than 33% since 2001.
The U.S. sends more than $100 billion a year to OPEC nations.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, America loses 12,389 jobs for every billion we spend on imports. At today’s oil prices, that means America is sending more than 1.7 million jobs overseas for oil every year.
Chairman of the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee and an ardent advocate for a national energy policy, Congressman Jim Gibbons continuously has supported legislation which reduces our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and supports renewable energy.
“Every Nevadan depends on energy, plain and simple,” said Gibbons. “Our nation depends on foreign sources for nearly two-thirds of our energy. That is simply unacceptable. We can do better and we must.”
"The House of Representatives has tried for over five years to pass comprehensive energy legislation to reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil and to meet our growing energy demands. Finally, as gas prices continue to rise and the price of oil hits all-time highs, we were able to send an energy bill to President Bush to take the first steps to greater energy independence. The provisions in the bill will finally encourage our nation to begin to tap into its vast natural resources, such as geothermal energy, to power our economy," said Gibbons, who authored the bill’s provisions to encourage the production of geothermal energy by creating a simpler leasing process and by modifying federal royalty requirements to make royalty payments more predictable and less bureaucratic.
“Unless renewable geothermal power derived from public land is more competitive with other power sources, little of Nevada’s great geothermal potential will ever be developed. Geothermal energy is good for Nevada, for the environment, and for the economy.”
“Too much of America’s energy—the fuel that keeps our cars running and our lights on—is in the hands of foreign and sometimes unstable nations, posing a real threat to our economic and national security. This energy package takes the first steps in promoting alternative energies, conservation initiatives, and domestic energy production to shore up a reliable supply of power for America. We need to remain committed to securing our energy resources here at home so we can meet our growing energy demands in the 21st Century,” concluded Gibbons.
For helpful hints on keeping fuel costs down, calculating the estimated cost of gas for your next trip, or for information on increasing your fuel efficiency, visit
www.fueleconomy.com, a new website sponsored by the Department of Energy. Additionally, Nevadans can help the federal government to monitor gas prices by submitting information about prices at their local gas stations at gaswatch.energy.gov.
Further Resources:
The Need For Energy
Link to House Committee on Resources
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