In addition to what Campground posted I would humbly submit that: Americans have had cheap & plentiful fuel for 100 years and we are probably the biggest user of energy in the world on a per capita basis, and mighty wasteful too. The days of cheap energy are past. Huge portions of the U. S. east and west coast are off limits to drilling, as are major portions of the interior. Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, etc. are "drilled out" and to a lesser extent so is the shallow GOM. Many people are surprised that, in view of current prices, there is not a lot more drilling here in the lower 48. But a number of my clients, that are independent exploration & production types, frequently cite the lack of good viable prospects on which to drill. Huge swings in the price of oil & gas in past years also tend to make people a bit reluctant to risk capital. There is considerable drilling activity in other promising areas of the world, but the new production resulting therefrom surely isn't "dedicated" to the American consumer. It's a global economy and oil is fungible. With the emergence of China and other developing countries there is a lot more demand and more bidders for that commodity.
I sometimes get amused and at the same time enraged when I here complaints about the cost of a fill-up from certain types, such as: soccer mom's with Suburbans, Expeditions, Hummer 2's, etc. ; folks that drive fuel hogs when commuting 30 miles each way into work in Houston, with only themselves in the car ; or all the Tom, Dick and Harry's that tool around town in their Ford F350's (and corresponfing Chevy and Dodge trucks and other assorted fuel hog 4 by 4's) and these are city dwellers that just want a big rig to go to the deer lease with or to pull a big boat. Then with those vehicles to be parked in the garage of their 5,000+ square foot houses.