Renewable Energy Success Stories

Depending on Imported Oil

The U.S. has both pumped and burned more oil than any other country. For the last 30 years, oil fields in the U.S. have been depleted faster than we can find new ones. Now we must buy more than half of the oil we use from other countries (54% in 2001). While the U.S. was once the world’s largest exporter of oil, today we are the world’s largest importer.

Economic Impact

Oil imports cost the U.S. $233 million each day in 2001, for a total of $85 billion.²¹ That’s a lot of money drained from our national economy. The people and businesses of Michigan spend about $12 billion each year to import energy from other states and countries.²² As our oil resource becomes more depleted, it will become even more expensive. In contrast, energy efficiency and renewable energy keeps money and jobs here, producing a healthier economy.

National Security

The U.S. imports more than half of the oil we use and an ever-increasing portion of our natural gas. This makes us vulnerable to supply disruptions whether they are caused by labor unrest, terrorism, or the actions of foreign governments. This dependence forces us to deal with countries whose policies we oppose. In 1973, a group of countries with most of the world’s oil refused to sell oil to the U.S. This embargo resulted in millions of Americans losing their jobs. In contrast, renewable energy systems tend to be small-scale and distributed, reducing their potential as terrorist targets and eliminating the need for importing and transporting fuels. Renewables don’t depend on the cooperation of foreign governments. Renewables provide a secure, domestic energy supply.

21 Michigan Consumer and Industry Services, Summer 2002 Energy Appraisal.

22 Michigan Public Service Commission, at: http://www.cis.state.mi.us/mpsc/gas/about1.htm and the U.S. Department of Energy, Table 143. Energy Price and Expenditure Estimates by Source, Selected Years 1970-1999, Michigan