Friendly policies keep US oil and coal afloat far more than we thought

[applegrove]

by David Roberts at Vox

https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2017/10/6/16428458/us-energy-subsidies

"SNIP..........

US fossil fuel production is subsidized to the tune of $20 billion annually
Researchers at Oil Change International (OCI) set out to quantify the level of US fossil fuel subsidies, but before we get to their results, a few important caveats.

OCI is only counting direct production subsidies. As they acknowledge, that leaves out a great deal.

For one thing, it leaves out the annual $14.5 billion in consumption subsidies — things like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps lower-income residents pay their (fuel oil) heating bills. (There are better ways to help poor people, but let’s leave that aside for now.)

It also leaves out subsidies for overseas fossil fuel projects ($2.1 billion a year).

...........SNIP"

[shanny]

1. Welfare Oil Men join

the welfare ranchers, miners, farmers etc--had my fill of that bunch when I lived in northern intermountain west. All those rugged individualists who couldn't get by without their checks from the gubmint.

The state where I lived was considering raising grazing fees on public lands, sent letters to the poor ranchers who would be affected if the change was made...and got a bunch of responses postmarked SoCal and Hawaii (this was in the winter).