The whole energy independence thing began with the 1973 Oil Crisis. Arab oil producers retaliated against Western countries for supporting Israel by reducing oil exports. Gas prices shot up. People waited in long lines for gas. Humiliation. It’s happened several times since then.
Which is one reason I’m all for solar cells and wind turbines. They won’t completely displace fossil fuels. But every watt of energy they produce reduces our dependence on foreign oil, to the point where if Russia or Arab suppliers want to place an embargo on us again, we can say, “Sounds great, we’ll save the money on shipping…”
Buyers only have the upper hand when they say “No” to the supplier.