The sound of energy independence was everywhere…

We can’t blame the hype, can we?

The latest buzz stemmed from Obama’s proposal that by 2035, 80% of America’s electricity would come from clean energy sources. Far be it from me to disagree with such a goal.

But I can’t help but wonder how much of it is a political smokescreen.

Listening to our president deliver the latest State of the Union, I’d love nothing more than to fall into the facade.

After all, energy independence is a noble endeavor.

Unfortunately, we’ve heard this speech before…

Every single president has declared some plan or another to achieve energy independence since Dick Nixon took the public stage.

And ever since, our imports of crude oil have inevitably risen…

For the last twenty-five years, our oil addiction has accelerated.

Sadly, there was no other choice. Up until a few short years ago, our domestic oil production has been in a downward spiral.

You can see that for yourself:

But hey, maybe this time the president really means it.

I know it’s difficult to remain optimistic in the face of the EIA’s energy consumption data.

The sobering fact is renewable energy still only makes up approximately 8% of our total demand. Fossil fuels, as expected, make up more than 84% of that demand.

Make no mistake; Obama (as we all do) has his work cut out for him… and it won’t be easy.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll show you how that transition away from oil is making investors a small fortune — on both sides of the fence.

Enjoy your weekend,

Keith Kohl