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Lieberman wants less foreign oil dependency

May 8, 2003

Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) said yesterday that his administration would work to reduce foreign oil dependence by two-thirds in 10 years and put the nation on a path to eliminate it completely within two decades. The Associated Press reported that Lieberman says he can reach his 10-year benchmark with a $25-billion investment and without the drilling in Alaska's Arctic

The Associated Press reported that Lieberman says he can reach his 10-year benchmark with a $25-billion investment and without the drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge that President George W. Bush wants. Lieberman's plan relies heavily on lowering the amount of fuel used by vehicles and an emerging process for turning coal into pollution-free hydrogen.

Lieberman said that the United States is sitting on a 200-year supply of coal and the industry is developing more environmentally friendly methods to turn it into power.

Lieberman's other chief environmental proposal would require automakers to build vehicles that save 2 million barrels of oil by 2015, which is about 15% less than what is used by automobiles on U.S. roads today.

Lieberman sees his plan as a solution to the current fight over federal fuel economy standards, and he said it would allow companies that exceed standards to receive credits they could sell to their competitors.