Perhaps the most startling projection is that the US will become an energy exporter by 2020, and will become energy self-sufficient 15 years later, owing to the plentiful supply of inexpensive shale gas and the discovery of massive oil reserves everywhere from North Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico. Despite opposition from environmental groups, these reserves will be easier to exploit than those in Europe, because they are largely located in sparsely populated areas.
也许最令人吃惊的预测是美国将在2020年变为能源出口国，并将在15年后能源自给，这是因为美国拥有充足的廉价页岩气供应以及从北达科他州到墨西哥湾各处发现大量石油储量。尽管环保团体表示反对，但这些储量比欧洲储量更容易开发，因为它们多坐落在人口稀疏地区。