As I’ve now argued many times over, the Obama administration is extravagantly fond of citing statistics about how our oil imports are way down while our domestic oil production is way up, with the implicit suggestion being that their policies somehow deserve the credit for these phenomena. See, they really are about an “all of the above” energy strategy and you can’t say that they’re anti-oil or anti-fossil fuel, because America is currently experiencing an economic and employment boom via domestic oil and gas production!
In fact, however, much of the credit for the current oil-and-gas boom and our decreased reliance on foreign sources belongs to production on state and private lands, and the Obama administration still has plenty of policies in place actively restricting permitting to the federal lands and waters to which plenty of companies would really like more access. Yes, we’re experiencing an oil-and-gas economic boom, but many of the Obama administration’s policies are coming at the direct opportunity cost of an even bigger boom.
It’s a similar story with natural gas and the many companies who are awaiting on pending applications to export the stuff in its liquified version. Companies are only freely allowed to sell and ship liquified natural gas to countries with whom the United States already has special, specific free trade agreements; but obviously, and as with any industry or economic sector, natural-gas companies would very much like to be allowed expand the market and reap the subsequent economic benefits.
Certain Democrats in Congress — who happen to have various manufacturing and environmental interests, with their own very definite stake in the domestic price of natural gas, vociferously egging them on....
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
