Imported oil and U.S. national security / Keith Crane [and others].

Title from PDF title page (viewed May 11, 2009).

"Sponsored by the Institute for 21st Century Energy, U.S. Chamber of Commerce."

Assesses economic, political, and military concerns arising from the United States' dependence on foreign oil.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 93-103).

Introduction -- Oil markets and U.S. national security -- Oil as a foreign policy instrument -- Oil revenues, rogue states, and terrorist groups -- Incremental costs for U.S. forces to secure the supply and transit of oil from the Persian Gulf -- Policy options to address U.S. national security concerns linked to imported oil.

In 2007, on a net basis, the United States imported 58 percent of the oil it consumed. This book critically evaluates commonly suggested links between these oil imports and U.S. national security. The major risk to the United States posed by reliance on oil is the economic costs of a major disruption in global oil supplies. On the other hand, the study found no evidence that oil exporters have been able to use embargoes or threats of embargoes to achieve key political and foreign policy goals. Oil revenues are irrelevant for terrorist groups' ability to launch attacks. The study also assesses the economic, political, and military costs and benefits of potential policies to alleviate challenges to U.S. national security linked to imported oil. Of these measures, the adoption of the following energy policies by the U.S. government would most effectively reduce the costs to U.S. national security of importing oil: (1) Support well-functioning oil markets and refrain from imposing price controls or rationing during times of severe disruptions in supply. (2) Initiate a high-level review of prohibitions on exploring and developing new oil fields in restricted areas in order to provide policymakers and stakeholders with up-to-date and unbiased information on both economic benefits and environmental risks from relaxing those restrictions. (3) Ensure that licensing and permitting procedures and environmental standards for developing and producing oil and oil substitutes are clear, efficient, balanced in addressing both costs and benefits, and transparent. (4) Impose an excise tax on oil to increase fuel economy and soften growth in demand for oil. (5) Provide more U.S. government funding for research on improving the efficiency with which the U.S. economy uses oil and competing forms of energy.--Publisher description.

Issued by: RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment and National Security Research Division.

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