Glossary
Energy independence
The goal of meeting a country's energy needs from domestic sources without relying on imports from other countries.
Also called: energy security, energy dominance, American energy
Energy independence is the aim of a nation producing as much energy as it consumes, so that it does not rely on foreign suppliers or vulnerable to price shocks and supply cutoffs. The idea gained prominence after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, and every president since Richard Nixon has endorsed some version of it.
The U.S. has moved much closer to it through the shale oil and gas boom. Since about 2019, the country has produced more energy than it consumes on a net basis and has become the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas and a leading exporter of liquefied natural gas. Because oil is traded on a global market, domestic production does not insulate U.S. consumers from global price swings, and refineries are configured to process some imported crude.
Politicians of both parties use the phrase, with different emphases. Republicans stress expanded drilling, pipelines, exports and nuclear power, and use the term "energy dominance," which was a theme of the Trump administration; Democrats stress renewable energy and efficiency, and also tie it to climate policy. Critics note that complete independence is not necessary or desirable given trade and that supply chains for materials like critical minerals are concentrated abroad. See fracking and net zero.
Last reviewed November 8, 2026