Securing American Energy Independence

This week, I gave a speech on the future of U.S. Energy Policy at a luncheon sponsored by the Denver World Affairs Council (DWAC). In my remarks, I underscored the harmful implications of America’s over-dependence on foreign oil, and what steps we must take to improve our energy security so that our people, our economy and our Nation are better protected from the liabilities of the oil game.

Below are excerpts from my remarks, as prepared for delivery:

“It is no secret that our overdependence on foreign oil poses grave challenges for our economy and for our environment. Americans feel it at the pump when they pay over three dollars a gallon for gasoline. And American farmers are at the brink of disaster because diesel has approached $3.50 a gallon. And American businesses, including our airlines are having increasingly difficult times dealing with the very high cost of fuel.

“Beyond the economic realities of $100 per barrel oil, we also know that our environmental security is jeopardized through global warming. The debate on whether or not global warming exists is over. We must now fashion a national and global response that addresses the serious danger of climate change.

“But in my view, what we don’t talk about enough are the national security consequences of our failed energy policy. We don’t talk enough about the degree to which our dependence on foreign oil erodes American standing and good will in the world, contributes to unrest and violence in countries with which we trade, and makes us highly vulnerable to those who want to do us harm…

“How we improve our energy security and reduce our dependence on foreign oil is the central national security, economic security, and environmental security challenge of the next decade. It will determine whether we will continue to be entrenched in conflicts over resources in every corner of the world. It will determine whether we will triumph in our fight against oil-funded extremists and terrorists. And it will determine whether our economic fortunes will hinge on the price of oil that OPEC sets, or whether the U.S. will stand independently, as the world’s innovator for clean energy technologies.”

Click here to view the full text of my remarks.

The consequences of our oil addiction will only continue to mount should we neglect to confront the challenges that lie ahead. As a United States Senator and a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, I am committed to moving our Nation beyond this addiction towards a new, clean energy economy that keeps American interests at heart.

Sincerely,

Ken Salazar
United States Senator

Please e-mail me with any questions or concerns you may have 

Senator Ken Salazar's DC office is located at 702 Hart Senate office building, Washington, DC 20510. He has Colorado regional offices in Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Ft. Morgan, Pueblo, Durango, Grand Junction and Alamosa. For contact and mailing info, click here.