Sarah Palin believes that oil is here to stay for the US, and that renewable energy and domestic oil development should go hand-in-hand. “Alternative sources of energy are part of the answer, but only part. There’s no getting around the fact that we still need to ‘drill, baby, drill!’ And if those in D.C. say otherwise, we need to tell them: ‘Yes, we can!’,” she exhorts.

Based on her experience in her home state of Alaska, she believes that ‘oil drilling is thoroughly compatible with energy conservation and renewable-energy development.’ Such an energy plan works for Alaska, she says.

Recognizing the fact that ‘petroleum is a major part of America’s energy picture,’ she wants the US to source out its oil supply domestically. This, she thinks, will lessen America’s dependence on foreign oil, as well as headache whenever an OPEC potentate comes up with the idea for yet another oil price hike.

Besides, America relies heavily on petroleum not only for transport services power but also for the production of plastics, fertilizers, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Palin cites Energy Information Administration’s statistics that show US total domestic petroleum consumption in 2008 at 19.5 million barrels per day (bpd), and that ‘motor gasoline and diesel fuel accounted for less than 13 million bpd of that.’

Palin also noted that the US locally produced only 4.95 million bpd of domestic crude, which means that even if all vehicles in the US run on non-oil power, it will still need to import oil.

Image

Via NRO