Oil & Energy News
Reports on oil drilling, pipelines, and energy policy debates. Conservative analysis and commentary included from The Daily Signal.
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- Opinion
Media, Environmentalists Were Wrong: How the Gulf Coast Roared Back After Oil Spill
Five years ago this week a blowout of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil rig 40 miles from the Gulf Coast tragically claimed 11 lives and spilled 3 million barrels of oil from the damaged wellhead into the Gulf. It’s hard to forget the video images of thick oil day after day gushing into the region’s waters….Stephen Moore -
- Opinion
Quadrennial Energy Review: A Plan to Buy Off the States
The Obama Administration has revealed “the nation’s first ever Quadrennial Energy Review” (QER)—a first ever merely because the energy plans of past Administrations were titled “National Energy Plans” or “National Energy Strategies.” Although the QER promises jobs and economic growth, the review is largely a series of recommendations to buy off states to go along…Katie Tubb -
- Opinion
Group That Inspired Charlie Hebdo, Fort Hood Attacks Stands to Benefit From Yemen Turmoil
Yemen has been engulfed in an intensifying civil war that has weakened U.S. counterterrorism efforts, created a vacuum of power in which al-Qaeda’s regional franchise can flourish and boosted Iranian influence in a strategic corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, an American ally, has fled the country. The Houthi rebel…James Phillips -
- News
Why This Economist Wants Government to Stop Wasting Money on Alternative Energy
On Tuesday, a House Science subcommittee held an oversight hearing on the Department of Energy. The Heritage Foundation’s Nick Loris was on hand to testify that the agency continues to waste taxpayer dollars funding alternative forms of energy. Loris, the Herbert and Joyce Morgan fellow, argues the government’s focus should be to fund basic research…Jamie Jackson -
- Opinion
How Removing Crude Oil Export Ban Would Promote Economic Freedom
Thursday’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on America’s crude oil export policies will focus largely on the 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports enacted in response to the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries embargoes levied on the United States and other countries in the 1970s. But at the heart of the matter is…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
Lifting This Ban Could Reduce Gas Prices
Yet again, the push is on to lift the 40-year-old ban on exporting crude oil. Yet again, opponents claim this would be a disaster … that prices would climb, availability would be threatened and the strategic advantages of holding onto our oil would be discarded. But what Americans need to understand is that lifting the…Marshal Wilson -
- News
Why Republicans Are Calling for Higher Gas Taxes in This State
Georgia residents could soon see prices surge at the pump, as lawmakers consider a bill that would significantly raise taxes on gas so the state can afford $1 billion in transportation needs. Georgia’s Republican-led legislature generally agrees on two things: the need to raise a billion dollars to improve roads and bridges (which amounts to…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Republicans, Democrats Should Stop Asking for Energy Favoritism
An exchange Thursday in a House hearing illustrated what’s wrong with America’s energy policy. During the Department of Energy budget hearing Thursday, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky., had a few choice words for Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, saying that the Energy Department had not invested enough in carbon capture and sequestration technology (which has been…Katie Tubb -
- News
Study: Government’s Control of Land Is Hurting Oil Production, Job Growth
Current government regulations imposed by the Bureau of Land Management are harming energy production and holding back the U.S. economy, a new study reveals. “While federally owned lands are also full of energy potential, a bureaucratic regulatory regime has mismanaged land use for decades,” write The Heritage Foundation’s Katie Tubb and Nicolas Loris. The report…Ben Smith -
- Opinion
Why It’s Better That Markets, Not the Government, Guide Energy Policy
Almost every activity that improves our quality of life requires energy. We don’t question how the lights stay on, or how groceries get to the stores where we need them. But it happens. Without a doubt, the adage, “You don’t know what ya got ’til it’s gone” applies to energy. We get upset when our…Nicolas Loris -
- Opinion
Don’t Waste Energy on Fossil Fuel Divestment
Global Divestment Day(s) take place Feb. 13-14, and a movement is afoot to encourage entities to sell their portfolios of conventional fuel stocks. According to a new study, the strategy, known as fossil fuel divestment, would be a loser for those who participate. But more importantly, encouraging divestment ignores the massive benefits conventional fuels bring…Marshal Wilson -
- Opinion
The Role of the Military on U.S. Soil
The role of the military on U.S. soil is frequently misunderstood when it comes to the question: Who is in charge? This generally stems from confusion over the different homeland oriented missions: homeland security, homeland defense, and defense support of civil authorities. The lack of guidance in this area prompted Bert Tussing, professor of national…Rachel Zissimos -
- Opinion
Solyndra, Fracking Boom Prove Private Sector, Not Government, Best at Picking Energy Winners
If you’re like most Americans, you’re enjoying the fact that it costs a lot less to fill up your car’s gas tank these days. If you’re a fan of big government, you may feel a bit ambivalent, though. Why? Because one of the biggest drivers behind the drop in gas prices is the rise in…Ed Feulner -
- News
Operation Choke Point: 7 Real Life Stories From Vegas
LAS VEGAS — What does the gun industry think of Operation Choke Point? Last week at the 2015 Shot Show, which is the industry’s largest trade exhibition, The Daily Signal asked attendees what they think of the controversial government initiative. The program, which was designed by the Justice Department in 2012, has been criticized for…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
Repealing the Jones Act: Good for Energy, Great for America
On January 13, Senator John McCain (R–AZ) filed an amendment to S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, that would repeal part of a 95-year-old protectionist policy that does not allow foreign seagoing vessels to engage in trade between United States ports. Though it ultimately did not go to a vote, McCain’s amendment would have…Marshal Wilson -
- Opinion
Steep Decline in Price of Oil Plays into Congressional Budget Outlook
The recent decline in gas prices has not only left a little more cash in Americans’ pockets, it has contributed to a sizeable increase in economic output. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) annual report, Budget and Economic Outlook, the decline in oil and gas prices that occurred between August and December of 2014…Rachel Greszler -
- News
How Much is Your State Paying for a Gallon of Gas? This Cool Map Will Show You.
What is the average price of gas in your state? Researchers at Debt.com have put together a map to show you. Debt.com’s interactive map allows users to see their state’s average gas price-simply by hovering their cursor over the state. Clicking a state will show you its average price for the last 10 years: You…Kate Scanlon -
- News
Is $5 a Gallon Gas on Its Way? This Expert Thinks So
You might want to consider filling up your tanks, America. One expert is warning $5 per gallon gas is on its way. John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell Oil, warns that we should “[e]njoy the price, because it’s going to go back up.” “The next round of high prices is likely to start later…Kate Scanlon -
- News
Is It True That Low Gas Prices Hurt the Economy?
Low prices at the pump are good for consumers, but are they hurting the American economy? Though oil prices fell below $50 per barrel as of Monday, Jack Gerard, CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. lobbying arm for the oil and natural gas industry, expressed little concern. Speaking at the annual “State…Kelsey Bolar -
- News
As Gas Prices Tumble, States Feel Pinch of Less Tax Revenue
Reduced gasoline prices are good news for drivers across the country, but they’re causing headaches for budget directors in oil-producing states who are now revising their numbers downward and hoping prices stabilize quickly. “I haven’t seen anything this rapid in my time,” Oklahoma Finance Secretary Preston Doerflinger said. “I don’t think we’ve seen anything in…Rob Nikolewski