In its recently released Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future report, the Obama administration outlines the steps it believes are necessary to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil by a third by 2021.

During an address at Georgetown University in March, President Barack Obama discussed his plans for weaning America off foreign oil dependence and reducing the impact and cost of America’s energy needs. While admitting there were “no quick fixes” to the problems posed by the country’s massive demand for energy, the president sought to specify realistic goals in developing a comprehensive national energy policy to decrease energy costs while boosting domestic supply.

Noting that every American president since Richard Nixon had promised to help America reach energy independence, Obama admitted that “that promise has so far gone unmet.”

Hoping to avoid the pitfalls of previous administrations, Obama declared his goal to reduce American imports of foreign oil by one-third within a decade. He described this goal as “one that is reasonable, one that is achievable and one that is necessary.” To achieve this end, the Obama administration has released its Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future report, which outlines the steps that the administration believes are necessary to hasten American energy independence.

The Blueprint’s major goals are to accomplish following:

• Expand safe and responsible domestic oil and gas development and production;
• Lead the world toward safer and more secure energy supplies;
• Reduce consumers’ costs at the pump with more efficient cars and trucks;
• Cut energy bills with more efficient homes and buildings;
• Create markets for clean energy;
• Conduct clean energy research and development; and
• Model best practices and clean energy technology.

In pursuit of these goals, President Obama highlighted strategies the administration hopes to carry out. For example:

• Implement critical safety reforms;
• Identify underdeveloped resources;
• Develop incentives for expedited development and production;
• Expand biofuels markets and commercialize new biofuels technologies; and
• Encourage responsible development practices for natural gas.

There is also the National Clean Fleets Partnership, a collective of private companies such as UPS, PepsiCo and Verizon Communications, as well as the Department of Energy (DOE) program Clean Cities, which will focus on converting transportation and delivery vehicles to natural gas and electric. President Obama will also direct the DOE to draw up new fuel efficiency standards for heavy trucks to mirror the standards he authorized in 2009 for personal vehicles. The president would also like to increase security standards for offshore drilling facilities while approving more drilling.

While most political, professional and ideological sources agree that America should pursue policies to achieve energy independence, industry groups are concerned that the president is laying unwarranted blame at their feet.

Mahta Mahdavi, director for energy and resources policy of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), says that the policy was short on taking responsibility. While noting its agreement with the need to increase domestic oil and gas production, the organization states, “Implicating domestic energy producers for lack of action, shortage or delay is irresponsible and inaccurate.”

“The administration…is preventing the permit process from operating in a timely and efficient manner,” Mahdavi writes at NAM’s Shopfloor.org blog. “The administration bears the responsibility to grant leases and permits for exploration and production to begin.”

American Petroleum Institute (API) Upstream Director Erik Milito agreed that domestic energy suppliers were not to blame. “The report completely whitewashes the fact that in many cases, the reason these leases have no exploration plans is that the [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement] is sitting on those plans,” Milito said in a statement.

American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) President and CEO Thomas Gibson told IndustryWeek he was likewise troubled. “We are pleased that the president acknowledged [natural gas] in his speech, but are concerned that his proposals to increase regulation of natural gas production will undermine our ability to access this strategic, low-cost, clean energy.”

President Obama believes the public is fed up with fluctuations in gasoline and home-heating oil prices, and is worried about reliance on foreign oil. While many commentators say that the president’s stated intentions are honorable, equally as many are largely critical of the methods within the plan.

Resources

Remarks by the President on America’s Energy Security
The White House, March 30, 2011

Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future
The White House, March 30, 2011

Fact Sheet: America’s Energy Security
The White House, March 30, 2011

Reheated Proposals
The Economist.com, March 30, 2011

President Obama Calls for One-Third Cut to Oil Imports
by Steven Mufson
The Washington Post, March 30, 2011

President’s Speech on Energy was Short on Taking Responsibility
by Mahta Mahdavi
ShopFloor.org (National Association of Manufacturers), March 31, 2011

Report on ‘Idle Leases’ Whitewashes Government Inaction
by Erik Milito
American Petroleum Institute, March 30, 2011

Obama Wants to Cut Oil Imports by One-Third
by Jonathan Katz
IndustryWeek, March 30, 2011