Energy independence: Energy developers consider effects on environment

“I don't think we would want to stampede toward energy independence at a way where we throw all environmental caution to the wind,” said Jay Hakes, who served as director for policy and research for the President's Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Commission.

“I'm convinced you can build safe deep-water wells, but you have to do it in a measured way and make sure you're not throwing the environment under the bus. We can do all these things for the economy and national security and do it in an environmentally responsible way.”

While the country continues to pursue traditional fuels such as oil and natural gas, renewables such as wind, solar, hydro and biomass also should continue to be studied and developed, said Stephen McKeever, vice president for research and technology transfer at Oklahoma State University.

“A stable energy policy for the United States and for North America will always include a certain portion of renewable energy,” McKeever said. “If we focus only on fossil fuels, the downside will be the pollution problems you get from burning fossil fuels and the necessary dangers with that kind of industry compared to solar or other renewables.”

The country's electricity generation in 2010 was 70 percent fossil fuels, 20 percent nuclear and 10 percent renewable, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. Wind power represented 2.3 percent of the country's total mix.

Texas leads the country with 10,646 megawatts of wind power. Oklahoma is the No. 8 producer of wind power with 2,171 megawatts of installed capacity.

One hundred megawatts is enough to power more than 25,000 average homes.

Voluntary target

Oklahoma policymakers have set a voluntary target of 15 percent by 2016, but the state is expected to pass 17 percent renewables capacity by the end of this year, Oklahoma Energy Secretary Mike Ming said.