“Keep it in the ground.” That mantra of the Greens encapsulates the restrictive energy policies imposed by the Obama administration.
But there’s a better approach: one that relies on the ingenuity of free enterprise to produce abundant, reliable, and affordable energy for all. That approach, rather than the restrictive, bureaucratically directed model favored by the left, will lead to significant savings for consumers, serious economic growth, and lower government spending.
But there’s a catch. The free-market approach outlined in The Heritage Foundation’s “Blueprint for Reform: A Comprehensive Policy Agenda for a New Administration in 2017″ would require both presidential and congressional leadership to rein in the size and scope of the federal government.
The blueprint calls for eliminating frivolous federal spending on energy projects that should be driven solely by private sector investment. This means no more handouts for wind or solar or nuclear—or carbon-based fuels, for that matter.
There’s no need to risk spending any more taxpayer dollars on half-billion dollar boondoggles like failed solar manufacturer Solyndra. Truly promising cutting-edge energy technologies will have no problem attracting private investors. There’s no need to sweeten the pot by giving mega-corporations and wealthy financiers government-backed loans or preferential tax treatment.
