Energy relief in oil sands, not ethanol

U.S. report: Washington eyes Alberta resource to ease 'addiction'
Sheldon Alberts, CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, February 04, 2006

The U.S. Department of Energy is predicting crude oil from Alberta's oil sands -- not alternative energy sources, such as biomass ethanol -- will help halve the U.S.'s dependence on overseas oil within two decades.

The assessment, in a report to be released later this month, follows U.S. President George W. Bush's challenge this week for the United States to sharply reduce oil imports from unstable nations in the Middle East.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates U.S. oil imports from Canada will almost double by 2025, from 1.6 million barrels a day to 2.7 million b/d.

Most of that increased will come from Alberta's oil sands, which are expected to produce up to three million b/d by 2020.

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