Oil’s virtual monopoly over transportation fuel coupled with limited economical and convenient alternatives for moving people and goods have made oil a strategic commodity and the lifeblood of the domestic and global economies. Passenger vehicles and light trucks account for more than 45 percent of U.S. oil demand. To reduce the strategic importance of oil, the United States must embark on a comprehensive effort to both break oil’s monopolistic grip on fuel for the light-duty vehicle fleet and open the market to vibrant competition among transportation options. This report is about this second item, the often-overlooked role of transportation options, or mobility choice. These choices are absent in many neighbourhoods even though there are fiscally responsible measures that would facilitate their delivery to more consumers. The paper projects the impact on oil demand of the policies outlined in the Mobility Choice Blueprint, a consensus document supported by a diverse coalition of security experts, energy experts, fiscal conservatives, and environmentalists. Mobility choice can help provide flexibility both to individual drivers and to the nation as a whole. Choice involves both having a range of fuels to power the passenger fleet and having alternative options to driving to accomplish our daily rounds. Having options means not only that individuals will have greater choice, but also that the nation will have greater flexibility if confronted with oil price spikes or supply restrictions. (Author/publisher)
Abstract