Oil imports cost the U.S. $233 million each day in 2001, for a total of $85 billion.²¹ That’s a lot of money drained from our national economy. The people and businesses of Michigan spend about $12 billion each year to import energy from other states and countries.²² As our oil resource becomes more depleted, it will become even more expensive. In contrast, energy efficiency and renewable energy keeps money and jobs here, producing a healthier economy.

The U.S. imports more than half of the oil we use and an ever-increasing portion of our natural gas. This makes us vulnerable to supply disruptions whether they are caused by labor unrest, terrorism, or the actions of foreign governments. This dependence forces us to deal with countries whose policies we oppose. In 1973, a group of countries with most of the world’s oil refused to sell oil to the U.S. This embargo resulted in millions of Americans losing their jobs. In contrast, renewable energy systems tend to be small-scale and distributed, reducing their potential as terrorist targets and eliminating the need for importing and transporting fuels. Renewables don’t depend on the cooperation of foreign governments. Renewables provide a secure, domestic energy supply.