subsidies

Direct subsidies to fossil fuels are the tip of the (melting) iceberg

In recent years, energy subsidies have risen to become a first-tier political issue. Lots of folks are thinking and talking about them, which is absolutely a Good Thing. However, the discussion has remained narrow and legalistic in a way that obscures some larger realities. The usual question that gets asked is, who gets more direct […]

Perry and Paul were for energy subsidies before they were against them

Texas Republicans hate federal energy subsidies. Unless, of course, those energy subsidies are going to Texas! Both presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Rep. Ron Paul pleaded with the energy department in 2008 for a loan guarantee. The project they were supporting was a nuclear facility. (Clean energy!)

Here is what Perry had to say about energy subsidies this Tuesday:

Dems go after $122 billion in oil subsidies

The supercommittee that's supposed to be killing the country's deficit asked the rest of Congress to submit ideas for places to cut. Thirty-five members of Congress submitted a motion that would do away with oil subsidies worth $122 billion.

GOP tries to explain away loan-guarantee hypocrisy, fails

In hyping the Solyndra faux scandal, Republicans have gone after the loan-guarantee program with guns blazing. They just can't support big government picking winners! Except, uh, turns out they can.

USDA pushes veggies, but subsidizes meat

The Washington Post reports that the USDA's nutrition guidelines are seriously out of step with food subsidies. The government recommends people eat fruits and veggies as nearly half their daily intake, and protein as less than a quarter — but they subsidize meat in totally different proportions. We whipped up this little graphic to compare […]

Rep. Cliff Stearns is against energy subsidies that aren't to oil companies

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), the Republicans' point man on Solyndra, says he's against subsidies to energy industries. What he meant was clean energy industries.

Mr. Morriss gets acquainted with Irish Confetti

Merriam-Webster: Irish Confetti – “A rock or brick used as a missile.” We recently wrote about professional clean energy critic Andrew Morriss being schooled by Center for American Progress’s Kate Gordon before a friendly crowd at the fossil industry-funded CATO Institute. Back in April, Mr. Morriss couldn’t answer Ms. Gordon’s inconvenient points about the huge government welfare checks […]

The myth of the free market

The oil, gas, and nuclear industries have enjoyed huge federal subsidies for a century, all of which have far outpaced investment in renewable energy.

Graph: The embarrassingly paltry sums government gives renewable energy

Click here for a larger version of this image.