Obama to Promote Energy Policy as Gas Prices Rise
EmailPlaying defense on rising gas prices, President Obama plans to promote his energy policy in a visit to Miami on Thursday, senior administration officials said today.
Administration officials said the president’s speech at the University of Miami will build off his State of the Union address, when he called energy one of the four “pillars” for “an America built to last,” and is not a direct response to the political heat Obama has been taking for the pain at the pump.
The president is expected to outline his all-of-the-above approach to energy production, calling for a clean energy standard and the need to eliminate oil and gas subsidies, among other things.
While Republicans on Capitol Hill and the campaign trail have blasted Obama’s energy policy in recent days, the White House is confident the president has a solid case for the progress he’s made toward securing a strong energy future.
In the short term, administration officials said there’s no magic solution to immediately bring down gas prices and declined to say whether the president would consider tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
In response to spiking gas prices, the White House has been touting the president’s efforts to increase domestic oil production.
“Oil production in the United States has increased every year that this president has been in office,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Tuesday. “American oil production is at its highest now than it has been in eight years. Moreover — and this goes to our actions — over the past three years, we’ve opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration.”
According to a Houston Chronicle article distributed by the White House on Monday, the number of rigs in U.S. oil fields has more than quadrupled in the past three years and the nation now has more working rigs than the entire rest of the world.
The president’s Thursday speech will kick off a series of events in the coming weeks focused on American energy.
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Obama has sealed his fate with his war on oil producers in the U.S. Domestic oil production is 40% lower today than it was in 1970 due to a lack of any coherent energy policy not because there is a lack of oil! The plan to turn food crops like corn into fuel is madness! And electric cars can only be driven less than 90 miles before requiring 6 to 8 hours of re-charging. At that rate it will take a driver 3 to 4 days to drive from San Francisco to LA, each way! The people pushing these $50,000+ golf carts don’t like telling buyers the truth about how the technology is NOT ready for prime time and won’t be for another 15 – 20 years! Obama’s plans to go green will bring an end to America! Killing the Keystone project was yet another example of Obama’s hate for oil and American jobs! Obama has done his best to force gas prices up, he even admitted in a speech that it be necessary to have energy prices increase by 90% to promote his green policy!
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | February 22, 2012, 12:00 am 12:00 am
oil producers in the U.S. Domestic oil production is 40% lower today than it was in 1970 . . . Obama’s hate for oil and American jobs
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | February 22, 2012, 12:00 am 12:00 am
Under the Bush administration, oil production in the U.S. went DOWN EVERY YEAR.
Oil production in the U.S. has gone UP under Obama.
Posted by: Dan | February 22, 2012, 12:40 am 12:40 am
It doesn’t matter what he says, the results matter. In fact didn’t he appoint a commission about a year ago to check into price gouging? What ever happened to that? He says all of the above then says NO to the KS pipeline, his actions don’t match his words.
Posted by: Todd | February 22, 2012, 3:42 am 3:42 am
Mr Obama was right about the pipeline-he has pushed oil production in this country to historic highs.I wish Carney would not lie about this-there is no need to give credit to the Republicans for doing the right thing.Killing this pipeline that could have destroyed the largest source of fresh water in the country.was the mark of an intelligent man, a man who should be getting the credit and should be getting the thanks of the American people.Without his active involvement in expanding oil production we would be seeing $5 a gallon gas by now
Posted by: Gobama | February 22, 2012, 10:12 am 10:12 am
Posted by: Gobama | February 22, 2012, 10:12 am 10:12 am
All hail Obama and my thanks to him for record gas prices despite record oil production. It would be at least $25 a gallon by now if it wasn’t for for Hope and Change. (rolls eyes)
Posted by: Susan | February 22, 2012, 10:25 am 10:25 am
I would go back to Obama weekly Saturday address to the nation.
May,14,2011 Obama plans to speed up domestic drilling in a safe and responsible way.
Speed up leasing process for Alaska National petroleum reserves, give oil companies better financial incentives to use their leases and extend all drilling leases in the gulf of
Mexico so oil companies have more time to implement safety measures. This was last
year, all the right words, end results not so good. I like the part especially about giving oil companies BETTER FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, this was last year. What will he
say looking at $4.00 now with the election coming.
Posted by: alive wrestler | February 22, 2012, 10:26 am 10:26 am
The Business and Media Institute analyzed broadcast network news references to gas or fuel prices between Jan. 20 and Feb. 20, 2012 and from March 24 and April 24, 2008. BMI found that in the 2008 period there were more than 4 times as many gas prices stories, news briefs or news headlines on ABC, CBS and NBC as there were in 2012 (97 to 21).
Posted by: Here's Your Change | February 22, 2012, 11:27 am 11:27 am
Big Jimmy, the Chevy Volt’s battery is recharged by a gas engine once the battery’s powery is depleted. It has no range problems. Your claim that it would take 3 to 4 days to go from LA to San Francisco is an insult to the intelligence of the participants of this forum.
Posted by: ClaimsAdjuster | February 22, 2012, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
ClaimsAdjuster, I guess you never had a clue that the new Chevy Volt is actually a hybrid not a the full on electric cars like the Nissan Leaf or others that DO NOT have a gas engine! Get your facts together before you trip over your own words again!
Posted by: BIG JIMMY | February 22, 2012, 4:12 pm 4:12 pm
Well Dan got it right about Bush years and the increases under Obama. The Sad part is that U. S. Big oil is now selling the oil, as well as refined gasoline & diesel to Japan and other companies in record amounts. Why? Because they get more profit there than they do here in the US. Beware of Repubs or Dems who promise cheap gas if we produce more oil here at home. It won’t happen unless you believe Big oil will suddenly sell all that new oil to us at super discount prices. If you do believe it, I have some oil leases that I can let you have really cheap. Pigs fly, and cats bark afterall
Posted by: Bill Bill | February 27, 2012, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm