Obama Layouts Plan to Cut Oil Dependency

In a speech at Georgetown University, Obama laid out plans to cut oil import dependence through a combination of expanded domestic production, development of alternative fuels, and greater fuel economy standards.

Pat French is the Houston-based senior vice president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers.

“That’s certainly a laudable goal. Whether it is realistic depends in large part on the kind of energy policies we see coming out of Washington.”

Al Hegburg, an energy security expert at the Washington-based Center for Strategic & International Studies, says tighter fuel standards would likely make a bigger difference than expanded drilling or alternative fuels.

“Substitution probably has some limits to it, and I think efficiency probably has a lot of gains to be realized, not just in transportation but certainly in electricity.”

The administration will finalize fuel economy standards for commercial trucks, vans and buses this July. It plans to roll out tighter standards for passenger vehicles this September.