The Congress finds that energy development and production are vital elements in the development process, that energy shortages in developing countries severely limit the development process in such countries, that two-thirds of the developing countries which import oil depend on it for at least 90 percent of the energy which their economies require, and that the dramatic increase in world oil prices since 1973 has resulted in considerable economic hardship for many developing countries. The Congress is concerned that the value and purpose of much of the assistance provided to developing countries under sections 2151a, 2151b, and 2151c of this title are undermined by the inability of many developing countries to satisfy their energy requirements. Unless the energy deficit of the developing countries can be narrowed by more fully exploiting indigenous sources of energy such as oil, natural gas, and coal, scarce foreign exchange will increasingly have to be diverted to oil imports, primarily to the detriment of long-term development and economic growth.

The Congress recognizes that many developing countries lack access to the financial resources and technology necessary to locate, explore, and develop indigenous energy resources.

Assistance for the production of energy from indigenous resources, as authorized by subsection (b) of this section, would be of direct benefit to the poor in developing countries because of the overwhelming impact of imported energy costs upon the lives of the poor and their ability to participate in development.