Our nation's reliance on foreign oil is a threat to our national security, our economy, and our environment. We need to invest in new forms of energy that will create good jobs in Northwest Washington and reduce our reliance on imported oil.
We have made great progress recently in expanding our use of our domestic fuel supply. Domestic production is at an eight-year high, and for the first time since 1949, the United States was actually a net exporter of oil in 2011.
As we seek to relieve pressure on the oil markets, we must continue developing renewable energies and increase our fuel efficiency. One example of this is our investment in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies, as well as making our traditional vehicles more fuel efficient. New fuel economy standards put in place last year in cooperation with the auto companies will help us save 2.2 million barrels of oil a day by 2025.
We cannot end our dependence on foreign oil overnight, and I will continue to support the good-paying jobs at oil refineries in Northwest Washington. However, to create a foundation for future economic growth, we must do more than business as usual. The United States needs to develop a comprehensive energy strategy to reduce energy prices and break our addiction to foreign oil.