Cord Byrd: “on another matter, a perfect storm has been brewing. Americans have already felt the leading edge of the approaching…”

“on another matter, a perfect storm has been brewing. Americans have already felt the leading edge of the approaching squalls. Today, we are more dependent upon imported oil than ever before. More than 54 percent of the oil that Americans consume comes from foreign countries, especially OPEC-producing nations. Instead of striving to disentangle ourselves from this foreign oil dependency, the Bush administration seems intent on sinking our military and energy fortunes deeper and deeper into the sands of the Middle East. Last week, gas prices in many regions of West Virginia were above $2 per gallon. Within days, these prices could easily exceed the $2 per gallon average nationwide. The price of natural gas is at a historic high, and consumers and manufacturers in West Virginia and across the country are struggling to pay their bills. Though some advocate reducing this pressure by importing liquified natural gas in the future, we must also recognize that this will create a new and growing resource dependency. It is hard to believe that the energy and foreign policy decisions made in places elsewhere in the world are having such a dramatic impact on the lives and pocketbooks of our citizens, but that is today's reality. Another aspect of that gathering storm is the poor state of our electricity grid, the lifeline of our economy.”