Letter to the editor from Joseph J. Zambon:
In her letter to "The Batavian," Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY24) wrote, "…the Biden-Harris administration and the Democratic party are trying to stifle American energy production, increasingly relying on imports from our adversaries”.
In reality, the U.S. has reduced its reliance on energy imports from adversaries due to increased domestic oil and natural gas production. Most energy imports come from friendly countries, with Canada accounting for the majority in 2022 and Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.
Before the Ukraine invasion, Russia represented about 3% of U.S. crude oil imports, but those imports are now banned. While the U.S. imports oil from OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia and Iraq, it banned imports from adversaries like Iran since the late 1970s. Venezuelan imports have also plummeted due to sanctions against the Maduro regime.
Though the U.S. does not rely on China for oil or gas, it does depend on China for rare earth minerals essential for renewable energy and electronics, raising concerns about future supplies of these critical materials.
In summary, the U.S. has reduced, not increased, energy imports from adversaries.
