Vol. 42, No. 08
08/01/2026
American Energy Policy
AT A GLANCE
• The people should be able to pick their energy sources in a free market.
• Government should not be picking winners and losers via subsidies and regulations.
• Nuclear and hydroelectric power are not bogeymen.
• The way to achieve energy abundance is to get government out of the way.
Everything that people need or want is directly or indirectly produced by industry. Industries depend on cheap, abundant energy sources, such as electricity, gasoline, and diesel. As energy prices rise or energy is rationed, all of us become poorer. Our industrial economy has no alternatives; temporary blackouts during storms force us to acknowledge how dependent we are on electricity.
However, our energy needs do not stop with home electricity. Most cars need gasoline or diesel, and if you happen to drive an electric car, you need even more electricity. The food we eat was grown using energy, delivered to the store using energy, and stored for you under environmental conditions maintained by energy. No item exists that does not require energy for its production.
Since energy is so important to society, politicians become involved. What types of energy should be promoted by government? Answer: None at all; let the free market decide.
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