White House Touts Energy Policies As Rules Loom

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is setting the stage for upcoming restrictions on coal-fired power plants by casting its energy policy as an economic success that is creating jobs, securing the nation against international upheavals and shifting energy use to cleaner sources.

A 42-page White House report to be released today argues that significant increases in domestic production of natural gas and reductions in oil consumption have better positioned the United States to advance its economic and environmental goals.

Few of the report's conclusions are new, but it includes a detailed analysis of how past reliance on petroleum imports made the U.S. economy especially susceptible to oil price shocks. White House economists say that has been diminished by a reduced U.S. demand for foreign oil.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.