Reliability of Foreign Energy Sources

The vast majority of American oil imports come from countries rated as “high risk” or “very high risk” for political instability.

America’s reliance on foreign oil jeopardizes key national security interests. Most oil consumed in the United States comes from regimes at high risk of political instability. In addition, several major suppliers pursue international objectives strongly at odds with American interests. Finally, there is compelling evidence that the dollars we spend on foreign oil impede democratization and further entrench oppressive authoritarian governments around the world.¹²

Canada, which is the United States’ single largest supplier of oil, is a stable, democratic and friendly neighbor. The next eight largest suppliers of oil to the United States are rated by the Economist as either at “high risk” or “very high risk” of political instability.¹³ In fact, 68% of U.S. petroleum imports come from countries in those two categories, making the United States strikingly vulnerable to potential oil supply shocks arising from domestic disturbances or broader regional conflicts affecting just one of the major oil exporters. Some of our key suppliers include Iraq (5% of total imports), a nation still in the midst of severe domestic conflict and at risk of splintering along ethnic and sectarian lines; Angola (4%), a corrupt, quasidemocracy that only recently emerged from a decades-long civil war; Nigeria (8%), another quasi-democracy with a long history of military rule and governmental corruption; and Algeria (4%), a country that within the past 15 years suffered a civil war that resulted in over 160,000 deaths.

In addition to the risk of instability, several large suppliers are actively hostile to American interests. American oil dollars fund Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who has gradually eroded democracy in Venezuela and has sought to export his unique brand of authoritarianism and anti-American demagoguery throughout the Western Hemisphere. Oil dollars also fund an increasingly authoritarian Russia that seeks to reassert some control over former Soviet Republics and may be threatening U.S. efforts to contain nuclear proliferation, particularly acting as a de facto protector of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Even Saudi Arabia, a nominal U.S. ally, is a significant cause of concern for American interests. Saudi Arabia has dramatically curtailed aid to radical Islamist terror organizations since 9/11, but continues to fund schools, charities, and severe interpretations of Islam that serve as incubators for violent extremists.

More generally, the massive amounts we spend on oil serve to undermine America’s interest in promoting the spread of democracy. Oil money allows authoritarian governments to maintain power without popular consent. It creates a tremendous incentive toward corruption and the establishment of kleptocracies. Oil money encourages unnecessary arms races and promotes regional conflict.¹⁴

U.S. dependence on foreign oil increases the risks faced by the nation and significantly jeopardizes core U.S. national security interests in democratization and regional stability. The imperatives of climate change as well as traditional U.S. national security calculations both support greater energy independence and an overall reduction in our reliance on petroleum.