According to the US Energy Information Administration, we’ve imported 49% of the petroleum we used in 2010, and consumed 19.1 million barrels per day that same year. That’s all money that is leaving our economy and making us more dependent on foreign suppliers. Furthermore, recent oil disasters in the gulf highlight some of the dangers that come with our current model of energy production, costing billions in cleanup, job loss, and environmental impact. As America moves forward, we can expect to see more money lost in acquiring oil from foreign powers, more environmental risks, and more difficulty in finding domestic sources of oil.