The Oil Drum

Big hat tip to the Energy Bulletin (original link) for this story:

Richard Bell, Communications Director for Post Carbon Institute, reports on the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources' hearing into “The Geopolitics of Oil.” (here's a link to a video recording of the committee hearing itself...the hearing begins at about 17:30 minutes into the recording--before that, it's just dead time). Just how bad are the geopolitics of energy, from the perspective of the United States? This morning the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources launched its New Year with an unusual hearing into “The Geopolitics of Oil.”
The consensus conclusion of the witnesses: the United States is in deep, deep trouble, facing the emergence of an “axis of oil” that threatens to recreate the bi-polar world of the Cold War, complete with Russia as a principal actor.

Normally the Committee deals with less weighty matters, like fuel efficiency standards for cars. But the incoming chairman, Senator Jeff Bingaman, decided to go for the big picture, and the big picture is not pretty. There was an almost palpable sense of graveness and alarm that lent a chill to the room.

For the rest of the report, go to original article [link] on Global Public Media (free access). Energy is beginning to get serious consideration, as Dick Bell reports. Also, note that two major studies of the prospects for world energy supplies are currently underway in Washington.