Barack Obama

FILE (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

(Gerald Herbert)

Michael James Barton is the Energy Advisor at ARTIS Research

By Michael James Barton, Energy Advisor at ARTIS Research. He speaks around the country on energy and energy security matters. He previously served as the deputy director of Middle East policy at the Pentagon.

After decades of effort, American energy independence is finally within our reach. But President Obama is doing everything he can to make sure we remain dependent on foreign oil and gas.

Thanks to an increase in domestic production, especially here in Alabama, foreign energy imports have declined dramatically in recent years. This reduction has helped increase U.S. energy security for three straight years, according to a new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Yet the Obama administration just imposed rules limiting domestic energy development on federal lands. And in February, the president called for a new tax on oil. Already, the oil and natural gas industry faces an uphill battle to maintain these security gains in a market awash with cheap energy. The White House's plans jeopardize America's progress towards energy independence -- and hurt Alabama's economy in the process.

The Chamber's report evaluates energy security by assessing 37 different metrics. These range from oil price volatility to energy efficiency to the amount of money spent on energy-related research and development. After pooling all this data, the Chamber comes up with a figure called the "Energy Security Risk Index." The lower the number, the safer the United States.

Last year, the Index fell to 74.5 -- the lowest level in more than 35 years. That drop is chiefly thanks to the drastic uptick in U.S. oil and natural gas production.

The connection is clear: The more energy the United States produces, the less it has to buy from unstable regimes. Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions agrees: "By producing more energy at home, we are keeping more of our nation's wealth within our borders, making our people more prosperous, and enhancing our national security."

The United States' current oil output would have been unthinkable even a few years ago. From 2008 to 2014, oil production in Alabama surged by over 150,000 barrels per month. Meanwhile, nationwide, oil production increased by a staggering 74 percent -- or 3.7 million barrels per day -- while our Index dropped from 98.6 to 82. Last year, the United States witnessed a 29 percent drop in petroleum imports.

As the Chamber's report notes, the development of the energy sector "has turned scarcity into abundance and boosted America's standing as a global energy powerhouse."

The numbers on U.S. natural gas production are even more impressive.

The widespread adoption of fracking has put the United States on track to become a net exporter of natural gas by 2017. We've already passed Russia as the largest producer of natural gas in the world. Ranked 15th in the nation for natural gas production, Alabama has played a key role in the United States' climb to the top.

These improvements in American energy security couldn't have come at a better time. The recent lifting of sanctions against Iran will enable the regime to sell more oil to maintain a stronger position in international markets. These massive revenues will flow to this recognized state sponsor of terror.

What's more, our energy revolution has produced huge gains for Alabama's economy. The oil and gas industry now supports over 100,000 statewide jobs. It also generates $11.3 billion in economic revenue -- accounting for 6.4 percent of state GDP.

Unfortunately, the Obama Administration seems intent on hindering domestic energy development -- undermining Alabama's economy.

The White House recently delivered a serious punch to companies looking to develop energy on federal lands. In January, the Bureau of Land Management proposed rules limiting methane emissions from oil and gas operations on public lands.

These new restrictions come at a bad time. Oil has plummeted to almost $30 a barrel -- its lowest level in more than a decade. While cheaper energy is good for consumers, it also means the oil industry is struggling.

President Obama's suggested $10.25 tax on every barrel of oil would undo the progress we've made toward energy independence. At the same time, this levy would cause the price of gas to increase by 25 cents a gallon at the pumps. That would hit everyday Americans the hardest. So much for the president's promise that no one making less than $250,000 a year would see "any form of tax increase."

The Chamber's report is telling. The domestic oil and gas industry has helped generate huge security gains over the last few years. The Obama administration should encourage this development -- not suffocate it with ideological regulations and extra taxes on Alabama's consumers.