U.S. putting abundance above diversity, IEA warns

Energy security is more about diversity than abundance in any one particular resource, the head of the IEA warned the United States.

International Energy Agency Executive Director Marian van der Hoeven told delegates gathered in Washington for the annual conference of the Energy Information Administration there may be trouble on the horizon for the United States.

"Energy security is about much more than supply, and it's about more than the here and now," she warned.

Advancements in drilling technology have given exploration and production companies access to oil and natural gas reserves previously inaccessible. This, in turn, has moved the United States to the top of the list of global energy producers.

The peak likely won't last much beyond the 2030s, the executive director warned. While oil and natural gas are abundant now, policymakers on Capitol Hill need to look to the future energy scenario.

"It's in times of abundance that we must challenge ourselves to think differently and tackle the tough questions that are on the energy horizon," she cautioned in her Monday address.