AJC Praises President Obama's Plan for Energy Security

["Ari Gordon" <gordona@ajc.org>]

AJC Praises President Obama's Plan for Energy Security

March 30, 2011 - New York - AJC applauded President Obama's announcement of
a plan to dramatically reduce America's dependence on foreign oil over the
next decade.

"We agree wholeheartedly with President Obama's clarion call to diminish our
dependence on oil from hostile nations and change the way Americans consume
energy," said Richard Foltin, AJC national affairs and legislative director.
"Comprehensive energy proposals have been offered many times since 1973, and
allowed to falter. This time the nation must muster the will to act in
unison on this critical issue."

In line with a multi-faceted approach to reducing dependence on foreign oil
long advocated by AJC, President Obama's initiative to reduce America's oil
imports by one-third over the next decade follows two major tracks-promotion
of alternative fuels and technologies aimed at reduced oil usage, and
increased domestic oil exploration.

AJC hailed the president's target of switching the entire federal fleet to
advanced-technology vehicles by 2015, while also pushing for more natural
gas-fueled city buses, cars and trucks; plans for regulators to finalize
stricter energy efficiency standards; and a goal of building new cellulosic
ethanol or advanced biofuels manufacturing plants, with construction to
begin in the next two years.

AJC has long believed that the United States must set as a primary national
goal a comprehensive energy policy aimed at a substantial reduction of U.S.
dependence on imported oil.  Needed measures include an open fuel standard,
green technologies, such as electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, and
sustained investment in research and development.

Moreover, AJC supports encouraging companies to drill for oil and natural
gas on public lands and federal waters that have been leased but not
developed, as outlined by the president, as well as development of other
domestic oil resources with substantial environmental and safety safeguards
that learn the lessons of last year's disastrous Gulf oil spill.

>Posted by:
>Ari M. Gordon
>Special Advisor 
>Interreligious and Intergroup Relations
>American Jewish Committee
>165 E56th Street
>New York, NY 10022
>(212) 891-6717