The United States and International Energy Issues

GAO conducted a study of the major international energy issues facing the United States and other nations, which must be resolved before the adoption of sound, cohesive national energy policies, by interviewing 400 experts in 15 countries. GAO believes that the international ramifications of United States energy problems are not well understood or integrated into a coherent set of national energy policies. There is a heavy demand for energy and reliance on insecure foreign resources to meet the need raises concerns about a national energy policy and about the well-being of countries even more dependent on imported energy than the United States. Efforts to deal with the national energy situation are regarded as inadequate, with ever increasing reliance on foreign supplies and other nations becoming troubled by United States indecision.