Quote:
Originally Posted by nevermind65
.... but spending our taxpayer money to pop more holes in the ground so a few oil companies can hit more record profits doesn't exactly thrill me. |
Sorry, but
NO taxpayer money is ever used to drill
oil wells.
Drilling for
oil is "one" of the ways to help us to become energy independent. But no "one" source of energy will turn it around. It will have to be a collection of sources. We also need to pursue solar power, wind turbines, tidal power, nuclear power plants, thermal energy, etc, along with energy conservation.
The Congress for the last 30 years has put the clamps on most of our energy production/exploration with all of the jumping thru hoops that the EPA and other federal regulations require to use any of the energy sources above.
So what do the big energy companies do ... they go where they are welcomed with open arms ... the Middle East, Venezuela and other countries. It is just not profitable for the big energy companies to "invest" in energy production in the USA.
When (and if) this country puts together an energy policy that makes sense and allows a company to make a profit, then and only then, will you see the percentage of imported oil go down.
Did someone mention windfall profit tax? Brilliant idea if you want the price of gas to jump another dollar or two the day that bill passes Congress.