LESS GAS, MORE ELECTRIC—DOE

DOE: U.S. reliance on oil imports to decline; Rise in biofuel use, more efficient cars will curb demand
H. Josef Hebert, December 18, 2008 (AP via Rocky Mountain News)

“U.S. dependence on foreign oil will drop dramatically over the next two decades as Americans are expected to confront rebounding oil prices, use more biofuels like ethanol and drive more fuel-efficient cars… the long-range energy forecast also said that coal, oil and natural gas - all of which produce gases linked to climate change - will provide nearly 80 percent of the country's energy in 2030, barring mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions that most likely would cause that percentage to decline…

click to enlarge

“…It is the first time in more than 20 years that petroleum demand in the United States is projected to be essentially flat for years to come…The reversal began this year with U.S. petroleum use expected to decline by a million barrels a day, or about 5 percent, compared with 2007…The agency's forecast assumes no changes in current laws or regulations, including any mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions in response to climate change.”