John Kerry's position on

Energy Independence: Not a new idea, it has been embraced by every national politician over the past 30 years. The U.S. currently consumes almost 20 million barrels of oil a day, more than half of which is imported. Focus of energy independence is on diminishing the United States dependency on foreign oil imports. Link

Description of candidate's position: Kerry plans to create an "Energy Security Trust Fund," which will encourage the development of new clean fuels and technologies of the future, and will promote the diversification of energy sources like natural gas, coal, renewable and nuclear energy. He believes these steps will create new economic opportunities for farmers, landowners and small businesses and will invest in the jobs of the future for American workers.

Quotation from the candidate: "I have a plan to put America on the path to energy independence and create hundreds of thousands of new jobs at the same time. And I can tell you this: America will be safer and freer when the resources that fuel our economy are in our hands and when we develop new energy sources in our country." August 6, 2004, from the Kerry website: www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0806.html. "We'll create 500,000 new jobs in renewable energy and building the vehicles of the future. Under my plan, America will be energy independent from Mideast oil in 10 years, the fuels of the future will be less expensive, cleaner, and our young men and women will never have to fight and die for foreign oil." March 30, 2004, from the Kerry website.

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: Michael Tolman, Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future feels that, "Over the long term, affordable energy security will come mainly from increasing the diversity of energy sources. One approach would be to expand the use of vehicles that use both gasoline and other fuels."

Negative: Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla. and Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, told reporters that, "Kerry's plans would cost taxpayers money and ultimately were unrealistic to reach the goal of freeing the United States of dependence on foreign oil." link According to James Pinkerton, a fellow at New America Foundation, a non-partisan Public-policy institute, "In Kerry's two decades in Washington, he said little about energy issues…Since he's been campaigning for the presidency these past two years,he's been absent for the debate over the energy bill that's been stalled in the Senate those same two years." link

Comparison: Both Bush and Kerry agree that it is important to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Kerry emphasizes more energy conservation measures and focuses on renewable energy and new energy technologies. The Bush Administration favors tax and regulatory relief for U.S. energy producers and increasing domestic energy production.

Link to Bush's issue page