US Presidency
1975

In this way, we will be able to assure ourselves reliable and adequate energy and help foster a new world energy stability for other major consuming nations. But this nation and, in fact, the world must face the prospect of energy difficulties between now and 1985. This program will impose burdens on all of us with the aim of reducing our consumption of energy and increasing our production. Great attention has been paid to the considerations of fairness, and I can assure you that the burdens will not fall more harshly on those less able to bear them. I am recommending a plan to make us invulnerable to cutoffs of foreign oil. It will require sacrifices, but it, and this is most important, it will work. I have set the following national energy goals to assure that our future is as secure and as productive as our past: First, we must reduce oil imports by one million barrels per day by the end of this year and by two million barrels per day by the end of 1977.