The US Energy Dependence, Essay Example

The overall consumption of energy in the U.S. grows at an average rate of 0.3% annually from 2010 onwards through 2035 (Andrea 2). There is a decline in the reliance of electric power sectors on coal-fired power plants. The current forecast expects the share of coal in overall electricity generation to fall from 45% in 2010 to 39% by 2035. This will happen because there is slow electricity demand growth, continued competition from renewable plants and natural gas and the compelling need to comply with new regulations of environment.

Nuclear power electricity generation would rise, by 11%, to 894TWh in 2035 from 807 TWh in 2010 (Andrea, 2012, p. 1). The EIA expects that nuclear generating capacity will rise to a high of 115 gigawatts in 2025, from 101 gigawatts in 2010.

Transportation energy demands are to grow at a rate of 0.1 % annually through 2035 from 2010. Electricity demand will grow by 0.7% (Andrea, 2012, p. 1). There will be a decline in to an average of 0.6 percent in energy consumption per capita from 2010 to 2035. New State and Federal policies could result in further energy consumption reductions.

Liquids account for much of the projected decline in the net import share of energy supply (Milostan, 2012, p.1). Petroleum imports reliance as a share of liquids consumption will decrease although U.S. consumption of liquid fuels will continue to grow through 2035 as per the Reference case. According to the Reference case, total U.S. liquid fuel consumption, including both biofuels and fossil fuels rises from approximately 18.8 million barrels a day in 2009 to 21.9 million barrels a day in 2035. The import share will fall to 42% in 2035 while it reached 60% in 2005 and 2006 and fell to 51% in 2009 (Milostan, 2012, p.1). From the Reference case, it is notable that the dependence on imported petroleum and other liquids will decline because of rising energy prices. This will also be due to domestic crude oil production growth to over 1 million barrels per day over 2010 levels in 2020.  Slow energy consumption growth in the transportation sector because of existing standards of corporate fuel economy will be another factor. A 1.2 million barrels increase per day equivalents of crude oil from 2010 to 2035 in biofuels use, which is mostly produced locally will also lead to import petroleum decline.

Most electricity generation in the US has come from coal in the past decades. Generating electricity from coal is cheap and easy as compared to other ways of generating electricity. It seems that coal will continue playing a key part in contributing significant share of energy consumed in the US (Andrea, 2012, p. 3). Continuous technological advancement gives hope as coal may be used without fear of the environmental consequences. For instance, clean coal technology, which reduces emissions to the atmosphere. America will have to invest a lot in clean coal technologies, as coal is abundant in the United States. The U.S. has also relied on other energy sources such as natural gas, hydropower and solar power although these do not produce more power as compared to coal.

The US has always wanted to have energy independence. America has relied on imported energy and still seems to do so for unknown time to the future. There is increased concern for the environment in terms of pollution control coal is abundant in the US, but the US cannot solely depend on it because of its impact on the environment. Coal is responsible for carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute significantly to global warming. The US will have to continue relying on imported energy. The economy of America will ever link itself to the oil global markets (Andrea, 2012, p.2). For instance, the US has relied much in oil from the Middle East.

Romney has a record of appointing a team possessing strong environmental records while he was a governor (Milostan, 2012, p.2). The team was to oversee clean-energy and climate change agenda. However, in his campaigns, Romney has behaved as a conservative individual claiming that we could not exactly know the cause of global warming. His campaign plan envisions increased oil drilling offshore and the rolling back of regulations by EPA on coal-fired oil refineries and power plants.

President Obama, on the other hand, campaigned on the dream platform of progressive environmentalists in the year 2008 (Milostan, 2012, p.1). He has attacked global warming through a sweep cap-and –trade program. He has a vision to come up with a renewable-electricity production mandate and to invest, over a decade, $150 billion in clean energy development and research. Obama has struggled to honor his vision despite the fact that he has not been able to fulfill it to the later. However, Obama still comes under criticism from environmentalists. He attempted to approve XL pipeline who wanted to import Canadian tar sands heavily carbon polluting oil. He also delayed critical EPA smog regulation in favor of coal-plant owners perhaps in fear that it would affect him negatively during the 2012 elections (Milostan, 2012, p.1). Obama, however, unlike Romney, supports the science that fossil-fuel emissions are an urgent issue responsible for global warming.

If I were to advise the US president on his present campaigns, I would advice him to incorporate in his foreign policy politics the issue of energy needs. He needs to talk on a plan that will ensure that the US meets its energy demands while not bridging international relations with other countries. This is because the US cannot satisfy its energy needs with coal, the most polluting source of energy.

Works Cited

Andrea M., Bassi, and Shilling John D. “Informing The US Energy Policy Debate With Threshold 21.” Technological Forecasting & Social Change 77.(2012.): 396-410. ScienceDirect. Web. 14 Oct. 2012.

Guérot, Ulrike. The Continentalist: Germany Trips Up EU on China Ties. World Politics Review,2012. Web. 14 October, 2012.

Heather Vincent, et al. “CITIZEN CAIN. (Cover Story).” Newsweek 158.17 (2011): 26-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Jones, Steve. Mitt Romney’s Foreign Policy Platform. About.com, 2012. Web. 14 October, 2012.

Jones, Steve. Obama’s Foreign Policy Platform. About.com, 2012. Web. 14 October, 2012.

MILLER, JOHN W. Gao Sen. “EU, China in Showdown on Tariffs.” Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition 17 Sept. 2012: A10. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Milostan, Catharina. “The Energy Forecast: Obama Vs. Romney.” Power Finance & Risk 15.37 (2012): 8-11. Business Source Complete. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.

Strassel, Kimberly A. “The Silent Second-Term Agenda.” Wall Street Journal – Eastern Edition 24 Aug. 2012: A9. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 7 Nov. 2012.