American Security Project

The United States faces a series of choices that will determine how its economy is powered to meet the needs of the 21st Century.

America needs more energy of all sorts, but especially electricity. By 2035, US electricity demand will increase by 30%. By 2050, all present US electricity-generation power plants will need to be replaced. Because of the long time-horizon required for energy investment, the choices America’s leaders make over the next 5-10 years will determine America’s course for the next 40.

[Take Our Survey]

Fossil fuels make up the largest portion of energy production in the United States. Petroleum products, coal, and natural gas accounted for 83% of total energy production in 2009. However, America’s leaders have to make choices on what energy mix will be needed need in the future – America’s current energy mix is geopolitically, environmentally, and economically unsustainable.

How America chooses to replace and expand its energy system will affect the economic viability of American businesses and consumers. These choices will affect America’s national security and its relations with foreign powers. Finally, these choices will signal how successful the entire world can be at successfully addressing climate change.

The security consequences of climate change, alone, are profound: worsening poverty, failing states, increased extremism, and the risk of conflict. Combined with a dangerous dependence on foreign sources of oil, climate and energy constitute defining risks to America’s national security.

America’s energy infrastructure was built for the needs and challenges of the 20^th Century. ASP is working to educate the public about these risks and opportunities. We are working to forge a new bipartisan consensus among America’s leaders on the risks of climate change and how to rebuild and expand our energy system to meet the needs of the 21^st Century.