Energy Policy

Today I read an editorial in the WSJ which was about a presidential candidate's energy policy. This editorial was very informative. What ought to be the newly elected government's energy policy? The energy policy of the US government is not easy to understand. So many issues are at play in this complex issue. On the one hand there is fossil fuels like coal. There is oil and gas production. How much is produced in the US and how much is exported to other countries and how much is imported from other countries has a significant impact on not just those industries but the economy as a whole. Thus the Inflation Reduction Act which I thought would have nothing to do with energy has a provision in it which allows for law makers to either support or ban fracking. So what is fracking? Fracking is a technique used in natural gas and petroleum production. The prices of commodities in a country and the cost of living which indicates the level of inflation is affected by if political leaders will or will not ban fracking or the production of natural gas and petroleum. The current vice president cast the tie breaking vote on the inflation reduction act which gives new leases for fracking. Another issue the energy policy has to do with is climate change. Climate is affected by how much fossil fuels are produced and consumed. Yet another issue is liquefied natural gas exports. Climate lobbyists want an end of liquefied natural gas exports. Are exports of this in the public interest is another issue connected with this subject. Study teams are studying various aspects of fossil energy and carbon management. Regulation of production of fossil fuels will raise costs affecting the economy. Fracking has helped revive the economies of coal towns. These are the ideas in the editorial. I totally do not have a complete understanding of this subject and likely will have to continue to study this even after election day.