Federal government can’t solve alone

Renewables CP/DA

More domestic oil production still leaves the US vulnerable to oil shocks. Can’t solve without renewables.

John Aziz ’14, economics and business correspondent at The Week, 6-20-14, The Week, “The lessons of Iraq: The U.S. economy is still way too vulnerable to oil price shocks”, http://theweek.com/article/index/263515/the-lessons-of-iraq-the-us-economy-is-still-way-too-vulnerable-to-oil-price-shocks

With Iraq facing an incipient civil war, the issue is coming back into focus. A big enough oil spike translating into soaring energy prices could once again squeeze American consumers and businesses, leaving the economy vulnerable to a recession. Of course, the U.S. is in a better position to weather the storm than in 2007. Interest rates remain near historic lows, giving debtors some breathing room. The total level of debt relative to the size of the economy is lower, too. And the U.S. — thanks to a shale oil and natural gas boom — is much less dependent on energy brought in from abroad. But just because the U.S. is importing a lower proportion of its energy doesn't mean that it isn't vulnerable to energy shocks. The U.S. energy market is part of the global energy market. If oil supplies are cut off or impeded in the Middle East (or elsewhere) the U.S. will still be affected, because the rest of the global marketplace will still need to buy oil. That means that the price of oil for Americans will still rise. All of which is to say that true energy independence isn't as simple as pumping more hydrocarbons at home. That may relieve both American and global energy pressures to a certain degree, but only in a transitional sense. It is not a real solution. A real solution would be a renewable energy economy in which energy and transportation are fuelled by local sunlight, wind, and water. If you're capturing the bulk of your energy needs on your rooftop, driving an electric car, and storing excess power in a battery in your garage, you're far more insulated against geopolitical turmoil in oil-producing regions.

Drilling doesn’t create jobs or help the economy – trades off with renewable energy and any positive effects are temporary

Zipf 13. Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action Inc. Wall Street Journal. April 14, 2013. Should the U.S. Expand Offshore Oil Drilling? http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324020504578398610851042612 //NM

What would be our reward for knowingly taking these risks? Forget about lower gasoline prices. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that if oil drilling was expanded in all the ocean areas of the lower 48 states, we would only see a three-cent reduction in the price of a gallon of gasoline by 2030.¶ The promise of oil jobs boosting local economies is a hollow one. History is replete with examples of energy companies coming into areas with supposedly struggling economies, claiming to be the solution. Once the extraction infrastructure is built or energy reservoirs are depleted, jobs vanish. This is beginning to play out in the Bakken oil fields in the Dakotas. Areas with already vibrant economies will also lo se when the pollution footprint of expanded oil and gas drilling crowds out clean ocean uses. Investments in renewable energy, efficiency and conservation will produce lasting employment and a higher standard of living throughout the economy without incurring the same risks.¶ Offshore drilling yields too little benefit at too great a cost to our coastal communities, their economies and the environment. Instead, we should be working to build a smarter energy future.

Domestic production can’t solve. Transition to renewable energy key.

Ken Blackwell ’14, Former Secretary of State in Ohio, Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the Family Research Council, 6-23-14, CNSNEWS, “Iraq Crisis: Latest Sign of U.S. Vulnerability to Oil Price Spikes”, http://cnsnews.com/commentary/ken-blackwell/iraq-crisis-latest-sign-us-vulnerability-oil-price-spikes

Energy security starts and ends with oil consumption, and that means we have to do something about transportation. About 70 percent of the oil America consumes is used in the transportation sector, and 92 percent of all fuel used to power that sector is derived from oil. Reducing oil dependence in the transportation sector is a tremendous opportunity to de-link the American economy from the global oil market and the various events-like the crisis in Iraq-that impact that market. The solutions have already begun to be implemented. More than 200,000 electric vehicles and 140,000 vehicles powered by natural gas are currently on America's roadways. Simply converting the nation's fleet of heavy-duty, long-haul trucks to natural gas would save two million barrels of oil every day. The widespread adoption of passenger vehicles powered by electricity would have an even greater impact, and such vehicles are selling at a crisp pace and earning rave consumer reviews. Still, more must be done to accelerate this progress. The country needs to increase its investment in oil-displacement transportation technologies so that we can more quickly sever our ties to the global oil market and shield our economy from its volatility. Doing so will also benefit our national security, as decreasing our economic exposure to oil price spikes will provide foreign and defense policymakers with expanded options.

Renewable Fuels are the ONLY thing that can solve our dependence on Oil

Buis 2013, Tom Buis, October 25^th 2013, CEO of growth energy, “Only Renewable Fuels Like Ethanol Can Keep U.S. From Oil Dependence”, http://www.rollcall.com/news/only_renewable_fuels_like_ethanol_can_keep_us_from_oil_dependence-228649-1.html //RD

It’s been 40 years this month since the oil embargo of October 1973. What have we learned as a nation and what has changed? Unfortunately, not much. Four decades later we are still exposed to oil shocks, disruption and price hikes — because even after 40 years, we still overwhelmingly rely on one source of fuel: oil. During that time we’ve experienced price shock after price shock due to unrest and instability in the Middle East. Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and now Syria — all unstable oil-producing nations in a region where even the slightest disruptions can have a drastic ripple effect on the supply and price of oil. Ultimately the American consumer is stuck footing the bill for an antiquated energy policy that is reliant on others. Wars have been fought, trillions of dollars have been spent to protect the flow of oil, and trillions more of our wealth has been transferred to foreign nations. But most important is the number of precious lives of American soldiers lost because of our addiction to foreign oil. In reflecting on this anniversary, we should recognize that it’s futile to put all of our eggs in one basket — what we need is a diverse policy that helps shield us from the price hikes, supply shortages, shocks and whims of foreign governments. Currently there is a massive gap in what Americans consume compared to what we produce domestically. This leaves us no choice but to continue to throw ourselves and our nation’s security interests at the mercy of those who are frequently at odds with the policy interests and values of western society. The most recent data shows total U.S. oil consumption at a whopping 18.5 million barrels per day and domestic production at 6.48 million barrels per day. So, even during what has been described as a renaissance of domestic energy production at home with new techniques, we are only producing slightly more than one-third of what we consume each day. This is simply not sustainable. The price of oil continues to rise and, what’s more, oil is a global market, so regardless of our domestic production there is nothing we can do to control the price domestically. At the end of the day OPEC is still setting the price. Oil still costs more than $100 per barrel and America still spends $1 billion per day for oil imports. As a result, gas prices remain high and so do the profits of oil companies. There is a better way, one that allows us to achieve energy independence while continuing to produce energy domestically: renewable fuels. However, just as we have found a way to produce renewable fuel at home, now making up 10 percent of our gasoline supply, oil companies are doing everything in their power to roll back any progress and repeal the renewable-fuel standard. Their goal is to reduce the use of renewables and maintain the status quo of our dependence on fossil fuels. We must not let the special interests of oil continue to hold our nation’s energy needs hostage to the most unstable and hostile regions in the world. That is why Congress passed the RFS in 2005 — an energy policy designed to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And it’s doing just that.

Renewables solve econ adv

Rebecca Lefton And Daniel J. Weiss, 1-13-2010, "Oil Dependence Is a Dangerous Habit," American Progress, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2010/01/13/7200/oil-dependence-is-a-dangerous-habit/

Clean energy can help bring the economy back to life

The United States has an opportunity right now to reduce its dependence on foreign oil by adopting clean-energy and global warming pollution reduction policies that would spur economic recovery and long-term sustainable growth. With a struggling economy and record unemployment, we need that money invested here to enhance our economic competitiveness. Instead of sending money abroad for oil, investing in clean-energy technology innovation would boost growth and create jobs.

Reducing oil imports through clean-energy reform would reduce money sent overseas for oil, keep more money at home for investments, and cut global warming pollution. A Center for American Progress analysis shows that the clean-energy provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and ACES combined would generate approximately $150 billion per year in new clean-energy investments over the next decade. This government-induced spending will come primarily from the private sector, and the investments would create jobs and help reduce oil dependence.

And by creating the conditions for a strong economic recovery, such as creating more finance for energy retrofits and energy-saving projects and establishing loans for manufacturing low-carbon products, we can give the United States the advantage in the clean-energy race. Investing in a clean-energy economy is the clear path toward re-establishing our economic stability and strengthening our national security.