Sen. Obama to Alliance – I Look Forward to Working With You

From the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention to statements on the Senate floor, Senator Barak Obama (D – Ill.) is no stranger to the idea of energy independence. And according to comments made recently at a breakfast hosted by the Alliance to Save Energy at the Standard Club in Chicago, IL, the Senator is ready to do something about the problem. “We can’t afford to wait anymore,” said Sen. Obama regarding the need for solutions to soaring oil prices.

There are two discrete areas, “the cars we drive and the fuels we use,” Obama opined regarding the need for a national effort to distance ourselves from oil dependence.

Fuel economy standards haven’t changed for passenger vehicles in this country in over a decade. And while hybrid and flexible fuel vehicles are enjoying a state of renewed popularity and scrutiny due to historic global oil prices, they still constitute only a fraction of automobiles on America’s roadways.

Sen. Obama acknowledged the move away from an oil economy will be a major challenge, akin to the Apollo moon landing or the construction of the U.S. Interstate highway system in the 1950s. However, during his remarks Sen. Obama related the story of Brazil’s decision in the 1970s to address its energy crisis by launching a national effort to replace all foreign oil with Brazilian sugarcane-based ethanol as the fuel of choice. The decision paid off and this year Brazil announced it will likely achieve complete energy independence. In addition, it expects ethanol exports to nearly double to $1.3 billion in 2010, further proof that there is a sustainable world market for alternative fuels.

In acknowledging that weaning the country off of imported oil will not be quick or easy, the Senator stated that this effort will require a “sustained commitment by the government and its people.

“There are plenty of other good ideas out there we can pursue on energy from both parties and from outside Washington too,” he continued. “But the point is we need to start pursuing them now. We can’t afford to wait anymore. The Alliance to Save Energy has known this for awhile, and I look forward to hearing from (the Alliance) and working with you in the future to make sure the rest of the country knows this too.”

Read Sen. Obama's full remarks from the April 11th Associates Breakfast.