Biden’s effort to make the energy shortage worse could include imposing an export ban on U.S crude oil and/or refined products.
Biden’s flirting with an oil export ban is not—we repeat, IS NOT—driven by good policy or economics. It’s driven solely by politics. He’s doing everything he can to minimize likely Democratic loses in the upcoming midterm elections. But such efforts are completely counterproductive.
First, the way to promote the increased production of a product or service, any product or service, is to ensure access to the broadest market possible. With respect to oil and natural gas, that means a global market, which means exports.
Access to the broadest market means there will be demand for a company’s products. Even if there is a decline in demand in the domestic market, other markets may be able to pick up the slack.
Second, companies need policy and regulatory stability. Oil and gas companies need to know that if they invest the millions of dollars it takes to ramp up production—i.e., drill more wells, build more pipelines, expand refining capacity, etc.—the administration won’t flip-flop in the next few months or years. And yet no oil or gas company has that assurance.
The fact is the Biden administration has embraced the most chaotic energy policies of any U.S. administration in modern history. Does anyone know what the Biden energy policy is?
We know he’s willing to throw billions of taxpayer dollars at renewable energy companies. But what’s the plan right now? Oil and gas companies have every reason to be skeptical of this administration and respond accordingly.
Third, Biden needs to abandon his counterproductive proposals. For example, he’s chided oil and gas companies for not producing more when prices were at record highs. But in the next breath he’s threatened to impose a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies to take away those very profits he says should be driving them to produce more.
Finally, energy is a global market. Production changes, such as OPEC+’s recent announcement to cut oil production by 2 million barrels a day, have global ripple effects. A wise and prudent president would have recognized that fact and (1) avoided vilifying and alienating Saudi Arabia, which has been a long and generally reliable ally, and (2) ensured that U.S. oil and gas companies had the freedom and political support they need to increase production. He’s done just the opposite.
In 2019, former Obama Defense Secretary Robert Gates observed, “I think he’s [Biden] been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.”
Add energy policy to that list.
Originally published by Institute for Policy Innovation. Republished with permission.
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While I agree this is another BAD policy proposal, I think this goes further than the points made in the article. The critical factor in the world oil markets is SUPPLY. Joe Biden and his activist cohorts have no basic understanding of this foundational principle. Most of the U.S shale (oil) production is lighter gravity, so it can’t be easily processed through most U.S refineries as they are geared more towards heavier crude blends. Thus, these lighter crudes (i.e. Bakken & Permian) are often better suited for European markets. We (still) import about 40% of our crude oil. Export of lighter crudes & refined products help our international trade balance and assist in stabilizing the world market, Exports of oil, along with LNG helps our EU allies as they face a supply shortage due to curtailments from Russia. I’ll simplify this. The U.S is not and WILL NOT be energy independent. We are energy INTERDEPENDENT. It would appear that the Biden Administration has NO ONE on staff with any practical market experience in the private sector and thus, little understanding of the realities of both a complex & nuanced arena like energy. So, they continue to make ideologically driven, short sighted & ill informed decisions. They just dig the HOLE deeper. I’ll say one thing. At least they are consistent…