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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TimF who wrote (106287)	7/18/2003 4:22:25 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Respond to of 281500

<We haven't "made it a priority" because we have a free market economy rather then a socialist economy> We have not had a free market in energy, for over 50 years. It is a heavily regulated industry. Every choice is largely made on the basis of a huge number of government tax incentives and disincentives, subsidies, and other distortions of the market process. We are dependent on foreign fossil fuels, not because the market chose that, but because Big Government chose to "guide" the market to that result. Oil, coal, and nuclear have been the beneficiaries of massive, longterm subsidies, subsidies that alternatives (wind, solar, efficiency) have not enjoyed. Just one example: When the nuclear energy industry was first proposed, insurance companies evaluated the risk. Without exception, every private company decided not to offer insurance, at any rate. They wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot condom-covered greased pole. But Big Government had a political agenda, and wanted nuclear power. So a law was passed, and the tax-payer assumed the risk. Not a single nuclear power plant would ever have been built in the U.S., without this massive and continuing subsidy. And the Bush Administration has just proposed huge new subsidies, 10s of billions, in the form of loan guarantees, to try to revive the moribund nuclear power industry. Wind power can be produced for about $.03-.05, in many sites, using existing technology. If they got the same subsidies as fossil fuels and nuclear, we'd see 10s of thousands going up. Message 18876081 Alberta oil sands, using proven technology, can produce oil at 9-11$/B, cheaper than developing ANWR, and cheaper than Middle East oil (once the cost of 150,000 troops is added in). Message 18876136