If we wait on Anwar - when we need the oil - it will take 4 yrs. to get it. We need to get the wells drilled and then possibly cap them if we decide to keep as reserves.I agree, we need to have the reserves available at a moments notice. Even if we choose to save our reserves for a tighter market, we can help keep the price reasonable from the mideast who desperately needs the cash and has nothing else to sell us (we have plenty of sand). If they get out of line, we threaten to use our own till they come to their (limited) senses.
If we do not get the apparatus in place to take oil from ANWR, we lose the opportunity to influence the market on the supply-side.
Getting the aparatus in place to use ANWAR on short notice would be fine but the oil companies won't do that. They want to pump it now to increase their short term profit margins.
That's what all this Anwar debate is about. The oil companies want to make a quick buck. It's not aboout national security or we would increase efficiency standards and really make us more independent of the middle east. Oil independence is just the transparently politicaly correct excuse.
I don't blame the oil companies. Making a quick buck is their job and they are going to pull whatever political strings that they can to do that. The government is suposed to think of long term best interests of the nation not the short term best interests of the oil companies.