“ I have recently put forward a six-part plan to achieve North American energy independence by 2020. First, I will empower states to control all forms of energy development on federal lands within their borders, excluding only those that are off-limits. Second, I will open offshore areas to energy development. Third, I will pursue a North American Energy Partnership so that America can benefit from the resources of its neighbors. Fourth, I will ensure accurate assessment of the nation’s resources by updating decades-old surveys. Fifth, I will restore transparency and fairness to federal regulations. And sixth, I will facilitate private-sector-led development of new energy technologies and remove barriers to a diversification of our fuel system and vehicle fleet.

The world needs energy, and we are in a position to produce it more cleanly and safely than any other nation. We have the resources to succeed and we have scientific and engineering talent that is unsurpassed. What we’ve lacked is the recognition that tying up our resources and shackling our enterprises is costing us dearly in every arena. The bad news is that self-defeating policies have weakened our economy. The good news is: we can change and I will lead the way.
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“ President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is already reducing our reliance on foreign oil and creating jobs by responsibly developing America’s natural resources. When President Obama took office, we were importing more than 60 percent of our oil. Today, we import a little over 40 percent. Thanks to booming U.S. oil and gas production, more efficient cars and trucks, and a world-class refining sector, we cut net imports by about 10 percent – or roughly a million barrels a day – last year alone.

Thanks to the progress we have made, President Obama is raising the bar on his previous goal of cutting imports by a third, by 2025. He knows that we can and must do more. So at the Democratic Convention this year, President Obama charted a course to cut net oil imports in half by 2020, cutting imports by 5.5 million barrels per day and reducing our reliance on foreign oil to its lowest level in almost three decades.
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