Romney Floats Plan for Energy Independence

 Mitt Romney laid out a plan Thursday that he says will lead the United States to energy independence by 2020, while creating three million jobs and bringing in more than $1 trillion in revenue.

Speaking in the town of Hobbs in the southwestern state of New Mexico, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate said the plan "is not some pie in the sky kind of thing," but rather "a real achievable objective.''

Romney said the plan includes approving the Keystone XL pipeline², which would carry oil extracted from the so-called "tar³ sands" in Canada's Alberta province to Texas, and forming a North American "energy partnership⁴" with Canada and Mexico.

In January, the Obama administration denied a permit for the proposed pipeline, saying congressional Republicans did not give it enough time to determine the project's impact on public safety and the environment.

Romney said Thursday that he would give individual states, rather than the federal government, the authority to issue permits for new oil wells on federal land in order to speed up the licensing⁵ process.  He said he would also accelerate the development of oil wells off the coast of the states of Virginia and North Carolina, and in the Gulf⁶ of Mexico.

Romney said his plan would not only create millions of jobs, but would also lower energy prices, reduce the U.S. trade deficit⁷ by 80 percent and improve U.S. national security by making the country less reliant on unfriendly countries for energy supplies.

The presumptive Republican nominee⁸ said his energy plan will help the U.S. economy come "roaring back."

The Obama administration has noted⁹ that during the president's time in office, U.S. dependence¹ on foreign oil has gone below 50 percent for the first time in 13 years.

And White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday that the Obama administration has provided "very aggressive support" for every form of energy, including nuclear, wind, solar, biodiesel, and oil and gas.

1 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

2 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

3 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 licensing   

v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A large part of state regulation consists of occupational licensing. 大部分州的管理涉及行业的特许批准。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• That licensing procedures for projects would move faster. 这样的工程批准程序一定会加快。 来自辞典例句

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。