Many stakeholders in the United States — government and business leaders, workers and families throughout the country — perceive an urgent need to change U.S. energy patterns. The country needs more stable sources of energy supply and needs to find ways to reduce energy demand by families, businesses and the government itself.

The U.S. government has a vital role to play in addressing America’s energy challenges. One important role the U.S. government can play is creating market signals to address the negative environmental and national-security costs of energy production and consumption. Another is partnering with other governments to find energy solutions.

U.S. government leadership is essential to addressing America's energy challenges. But this alone will not be enough. Private-sector companies will need to be full partners with the U.S. government. However, signs of a “Buy America” mindset in Washington stand in the way of a flourishing government-private sector partnership. Dated notions of “American” businesses may lead to policies that disadvantage the overall U.S. economy by disadvantaging the over five million Americans currently working for U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies, or insourcing companies.

Insourcing companies are already working to meet America’s energy goals. They are inventing energy technologies in America, making capital investments for energy projects in America, and employing American workers in both traditional and new energy industries. The important strengths that insourcing companies bring to the U.S. economy have been made clear in a report by President Obama’s National Economic Council and Office of Science and Technology Policy that states the following:

“Support open capital markets that allocate resources to the most promising ideas. Open capital markets are one of the great strengths of the American economy, and the President is committed to making sure these markets work ... In our economic system, freely moving capital searches for the most promising innovations to nurture and propel. Providing American leadership in well regulated, open markets will support global technology development, and the President is committed to this system.”