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Energy Independence Day: A Story of Shale and Sand
townhall.com ^ | 6/24/2018 | Gil Gutknecht

Posted on 06/24/2018 6:25:17 AM PDT by rktman

People over 50 remember the OPEC oil embargoes and Americans waiting in line to buy gasoline. We were the most powerful nation the world. We had won World War II, rebuilt Europe and Japan. Yet, here we were begging some faceless Middle Eastern Sheiks for a few gallons so we could get to work. It was both frustrating and humiliating.

The answers we got from our political leadership were pathetic. Yes, they authorized farmers to start making ethanol and gave tax credits to the big refineries to get them to blend it. Congress created a Department of Energy to look for new sources of energy. They came up with some interesting ideas, but most of them were far too expensive. Americans were told to slow down, dial back on the thermostat and buy more sweaters. In short, the days of affordable energy were over and we would just have to get used to it.

Adding insult to injury, we were told that it was our fault.

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: bigoil; drillbabydrill; energy; palinwasright; petrobucks
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Yeah, I had odd number days if I remember right. And, I can't drive 55. ;-)
1 posted on 06/24/2018 6:25:17 AM PDT by rktman
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To: rktman

NON print:

https://townhall.com/columnists/gilgutknecht/2018/06/24/energy-independence-day-a-story-of-shale-and-sand-n2493834


2 posted on 06/24/2018 6:25:46 AM PDT by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: rktman

Summary: The solutions provided by the politicians (poli-sci and other non intellectual marshmallow majors) weren’t worth excrement.
The solutions provided by scientists and engineers worked.
Hmmmm, perhaps there is a lesson there somewhere.
(Yes, I know this is not always true...but then again....)


3 posted on 06/24/2018 6:27:48 AM PDT by Da Coyote
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To: rktman
Without much help from the Department of Energy, some enterprising entrepreneurs began to explore the possibilities of unlocking enormous amounts of oil and gas trapped in shale formations deep in the earth.

Understatement of the day. How about active opposition by the federal government.

4 posted on 06/24/2018 6:31:51 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (I can't tell if we live in an Erostocracy (rule by sex) or an Eristocracy (rule by strife and chaos))
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To: rktman

I also remember that Congress authorized the Alternative Energy Fuel tax on gasoline ($0.05/gal, I think) that was supposed to be used to develop alternative energy sources. I wonder if that tax is still in place and if it ever resulted in one additional gallon for fuel for anyone, or did it end up in the general fund to buy free cell phones for deadbeats so they could get reelected?


5 posted on 06/24/2018 6:32:17 AM PDT by econjack
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To: rktman

Prez Carter said to burn newspapers and put another sweater on.


6 posted on 06/24/2018 6:35:32 AM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's fore sure)
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To: econjack
...Alternative Energy Fuel tax...

Never heard of it. There are many subsidies and tax breaks for alt-fuels, but I've never run across that one in particular. Was it specific to a certain state?

BTW, alt-fuel tax breaks and subsidies are thankfully in decline.

7 posted on 06/24/2018 6:37:59 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: rktman

Why hasn’t President Trump disbanded the corrupt Dept. Of Energy?That Department hasn’t produced a Watt of electricity,A pound of coal or a gallon of gasoline during its existence.

Kill it now.


8 posted on 06/24/2018 6:41:37 AM PDT by puppypusher (The world is going to the dogs.)
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To: rktman

Our energy problems are a matter of political manipulation form paid off politicians


9 posted on 06/24/2018 6:42:21 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: rktman
The first thing fracking did was open up tremendous reserves of natural gas. And that right there was a huge boon because natural gas can be used as fuel (with a tiny fraction of the emissions of burning coal) or as base stock to create other petroleum products. Indeed, Shell's Pennzoil division is using natural gas as a base material for motor oil of all things!
10 posted on 06/24/2018 6:46:00 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
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To: jjotto

“BTW, alt-fuel tax breaks and subsidies are thankfully in decline.”

I’ll believe it when I see ethanol subsidies eliminated. These tax credits and associated subsidies have made whores out of Midwest farmers and of course their congressional representatives their pimps. Appears to me we consumers are stuck with it.


11 posted on 06/24/2018 6:48:49 AM PDT by snoringbear (W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp,)
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To: snoringbear

Yeah, don’t even think about touching that corn.


12 posted on 06/24/2018 6:50:15 AM PDT by rktman (Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: rktman

And then Reagan deregulated the price of oil.


13 posted on 06/24/2018 6:52:19 AM PDT by Moonman62 (Give a man a fish and he'll be a Democrat. Teach a man to fish and he'll be a responsible citizen.)
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To: rktman
I think most people also remember the end of Clinton and the beginning of Bush.

During that period, the price of oil went from $25 per barrel to $100 per barrel. We ran out of $25 oil.

If you go back to the 70s, we ran out of $12 oil.

I was just a kid then but I remember when we ran out $2 oil in the 50s.

That's the way it is with oil and all fossil fuels.

Probably everybody remembers the natural gas shortages in 2000. In California Swartzenegger replace Gray Davis and in Texas Cornyn replaced Phil Gramm.

Back then, only Texas and California had begun the shift from coal to natural gas. Now, many states are using natural gas to generate power so the next natural gas shortage will be severe.

Everybody is going to be mad at Trump because he is sending all the US natural gas to China, India and Germany.

14 posted on 06/24/2018 6:53:30 AM PDT by Ben Ficklin
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To: jjotto
Never heard of it. There are many subsidies and tax breaks for alt-fuels, but I've never run across that one in particular. Was it specific to a certain state?

I don't know about anywhere else, but here in Jefferson city Mo. we have the National Bio Diesel Board that promotes the use of bio diesel. They survive on large government grants. I know someone who works there and gets paid very well.

15 posted on 06/24/2018 6:58:19 AM PDT by painter ( Isaiah: �Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,")
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To: rktman

Having multiple vehicle in the fam solved the odd-even thing.

Driving a truck with twin gas tanks to Canada and back also allowed a supply to be distributed among other vehicles at home. Dangerous though during the transfers.

It was a terrible time of lame government interference.


16 posted on 06/24/2018 7:01:46 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: RayChuang88

Mobil 1 lube is created from nat gas.


17 posted on 06/24/2018 7:04:17 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: rktman
They also underwrote anti-fracking public relations efforts. The combination slowed growth, rig counts dropped but our production continued to climb. <

Sounds like some form of collusion?
Are the Russians in this?
Does Mueller have this on his to-do list?

18 posted on 06/24/2018 7:11:42 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT (This Space for Rent)
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To: painter

There was a specific claim about dedicated federal fuel tax allotment. Alt-fuels subsidies are stolen from the general Treasury like most things Congress spends on, AFAIK.


19 posted on 06/24/2018 7:20:09 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
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To: rktman

Erroeneous title.

We are not “energy independent” due to “shale” or anything else. We are importing the energy equivelant of about 10 million barrels a day, or close to 20% of U.S. consumption. Yes, that represents imports at less of a % than in the past. But consumption has also gone up about 880 million barrles a year since 2014, and with a growing economy likely to grow more. The question - as to “energy independence” is not can we get even more from domestic production, but can domestic production grow to exceed domestic consumption. THAT is the development to which we can claim “energy independence”.

Nothing wrong with the article’s sentiemnts. It is simply EMPTY of data and facts showing exactly what the U.S. oil production and consumption picture really is.


20 posted on 06/24/2018 8:30:06 AM PDT by Wuli
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