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Obama Energy Plan Calls for Reducing Oil Imports, Affirms Nuclear Use

HeadlineMar 31, 2011

President Obama has unveiled a new energy policy seeking to reduce the use of foreign oil while reaffirming a commitment to nuclear energy. On Wednesday, Obama called for for reducing oil imports by a third over the next decade.

President Obama: “When I was elected to this office, America imported 11 million barrels of oil a day. By a little more than a decade from now, we will have cut that by one-third. That is something that we can achieve. We can cut our oil dependence by a third.”

Obama went on to back the continued use of nuclear energy despite growing concerns in the wake of the crisis in Japan.

President Obama: “It’s important to recognize that nuclear energy doesn’t emit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, so those of us who are concerned about climate change, we’ve got to recognize that nuclear power, if it’s safe, can make a significant contribution to the climate change question. We’re going to incorporate those conclusions and lessons from Japan in design and the building of the next generation of plants. But we can’t simply take it off the table.”

In a statement, Greenpeace USA criticized Obama’s praise for nuclear power, as well as his ongoing support for offshore drilling, saying, “For the millions of Americans put at risk by the inherent dangers of nuclear power, or those whose livelihoods have been destroyed by the Gulf oil disaster, more of the same is hardly the path toward 'Energy Security.'”

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