Actions speak louder than words
The EPA has begun the process of issuing brand, spanking-new emissions rules that will affect coal-fired power plants, and it's been alleged that said rules will cause approximately 20% of these plants to shut down operations.
America imports nearly 2/3rds of its oil, which amounts to more than 4,000,000,000 barrels per year at a cost of nearly $450,000,000,000. This imported oil accounts for over 60% of America's trade deficit.
President Obama previously set a goal of reducing America's oil imports by 33% over the next decade, which he proclaimed we can do by “finding and producing more oil at home, and reducing dependence on oil with cleaner alternate fuels and greater efficiency.”
And yet the president continues to oppose drilling in numerous regions in Alaska (e.g., ANWR) that are estimated to have over 10,000,000,000 barrels of oil. It has also been reported that deep-water oil drilling permits are down 70% from their historical average. The Obama administration has either cancelled or roadblocked the development of oil shale leases in Colorado and Utah. The EPA foiled Shell Oil Company's plans to drill for an estimated 27,000,000,000 barrels of oil off the Alaskan coast.
There has been no new construction of nuclear power plants in 30 years.
It has been reported that 10 oil rigs have left the Gulf of Mexico since the Obama administration imposed the moratorium against deep-water drilling and several other proposed rigs were moved elsewhere, e.g., South America and off the coast of Africa.
