Chris Baltimore

A group of former national security officials on Monday took up the cause of weaning U.S. drivers from their oil addiction — normally the realm of environmental groups — and asked the Bush administration to spend $1 billion on lighter, more fuel-efficient automobiles.

U.S. election-year pledges by both presidential candidates to wean the nation from its foreign oil dependence have vote-winning potential but may be just a pipe dream, energy experts say.

Despite vaunted crude oil finds in Africa and Latin America, widespread pumping decreases will make global markets more dependent on the Middle East and Russia over the decade, a study released on Wednesday found.

A federal advisory panel will assess U.S. oil refining capacity and crude oil stocks to see if steps can be taken to boost energy supplies, U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said on Tuesday.