Patriotism is definitely in fashion. George W. Bush wants to protect the energy of the United States, just as Dominique de Villepin intends to preserve French companies. In his seventh State of the Union address, George W. Bush drew an unusual observation for a former Texas oilman, even if he had become President of the United States: “America is dependent on oil which is often imported. unstable regions of the world. Hence the announcement of a plan to "replace more than 75% of [its] oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."
The goal seems ambitious for a country that has refused to submit to any constraint in terms of energy. Today's reality is more modest. The United States buys its oil first from its neighbors, Canada and Mexico. Last year, their imports from the Middle East made up only 17% of their overseas supplies, and therefore barely 12% of their consumption. As the country mainly burns coal and gas to produce its electricity, the Middle Eastern hydrocarbons only contributed 5% of its energy.