Obama: We must 'get serious' about long-term energy policy - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency

Obama: We must 'get serious' about long-term energy policy - The Oval: Tracking the Obama presidency

President Obama said today that military action in Libya, unrest in the Middle East and the Japanese nuclear crisis could all have a profound effect on Americans -- at the gas pump and beyond.

"In an economy that relies so heavily on oil, rising prices at the pump affect everybody," Obama said today in an address on energy. "Workers, farmers, truck drivers, restaurant owners ... businesses see rising prices at the pump hurt their bottom line. Families feel pinched when they fill up their tank."

The recent string of foreign crises is another reminder that the United States has to develop alternatives to imports of foreign oil, Obama said as he sought to revive interest in an energy program stalled on Capitol Hill.

Speaking at Georgetown University in Washington, Obama set an ambitious goal: "When I was elected to this office, America imported 11 million barrels of oil a day. By a little more than a decade from now, we will have cut that by one-third."

This requires an array of alternatives, Obama said, promoting programs on biofuels, natural gas, electric vehicles, wind and solar power, more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and energy-efficient programs.

And nuclear power, Obama said, despite Japan's problems.

"America gets one-fifth of our electricity from nuclear energy," Obama said. "It has important potential for increasing our electricity without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. But I'm determined to ensure that it's safe."