The main issue here is one of political expediency, rather than what is actually in the nation's best interests long-term. Because politics is a short-term popularity contest, it's doubtful whether any administration has the cojones to make the tough energy decisions needed to ensure real energy independence for the long-haul.

I have just seen a really interesting article about the future of energy in the US - the link is to Google's Clean Energy 2030 proposal about reducing US dependence on fossil fuels. When Google gets into something, you know they’re going to give it their all, have a read:

http://knol.google.com/k/-/-/15x31uzlqeo5n/1#