Submitted by the office of Sen. Isakson

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today signed T. Boone Pickens’ energy independence pledge, joining the oil and gas developer in his campaign to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

“America is spending billions of dollars every month on foreign oil, money that we need to be putting into our own economy right now,” Isakson said. “It is imperative that the new Congress move quickly to enact an energy plan and I am committed to making sure that happens. This is an economic issue and it’s also a national security issue.”

“Right now America is importing 70 percent of its oil -- Sen. Isakson understands the threat this has on our economy and national security,” said Pickens, who has been in the oil industry for 50 years. “America can no longer afford to move forward without a plan that addresses our dependence on foreign oil. I am proud to have Sen. Isakson’s support and leadership as we push Congress to enact an energy plan within the first 100 days of the new administration.”

Today’s announcement is another step in Isakson’s commitment to energy independence. Isakson previously joined a coalition that called for a comprehensive approach that includes increased domestic production of oil through offshore drilling, a commitment to nuclear energy, conservation, and a focused effort to transition the nation’s motor vehicle fleets to fuels other than gasoline and diesel.

Isakson has also co-sponsored the Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008, which would allow states the option to explore oil and gas resources in the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf, repeal the moratorium on Western state oil shale exploration, increase research and development for plug-in electric cars and trucks, and strengthen U.S. futures markets through increased transparency.

Isakson is a co-sponsor of the Domestic Energy Production Act of 2008 that aims to lower the cost of energy and enhance U.S. energy security by increasing domestic supply. He has also voted numerous times to explore oil reserved in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

“We have a diverse country with many assets that regionally are very different. If we’re going to have standards that call on us to find renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we must promote all those sources and not narrow those sources,” said Isakson.

The Pickens Pledge reads:

We will no longer stand by and watch as America’s national security and economy become more dependent on the unstable foreign nations that we rely on for nearly 70 percent of the oil we use each day.

We spend nearly $700 billion every year buying foreign oil, which represents the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.

The new president and the 111th Congress need to enact an energy plan that reduces our foreign oil dependence by at least 30 percent within 10 years.

This plan must include proven American technology and resources; the development of new energy sources; and the expansion and modernization of the national electrical grid to transport renewable energy to homes and businesses.