The price of gasoline varies by a ridiculous amount around the world, from pennies for a gallon in some countries to the equivalent of $10 in others. One of the big reasons for this variation is fossil fuel subsidies.
If you think ending the ethanol subsidy puts all fuel sources on an equal footing, think again. While there has been a great deal of vitriol directed toward subsidies for alternative energy and plug-in vehicles, very little has been heard about the ways in which fossil fuels are given a huge advantage – and there are many. In fact, compared to the help fossil fuels are given, tax breaks
That falling ball in Times Square didn't just signal the end of 2011, it was also the death knell for thirty years of ethanol subsidies. That in turn could signal an abrupt rise in prices at the pump.
Since the summer, natural gas supporter T. Boone Pickens (pictured) has been in an energy fight with the Koch brothers. Think of it as a battle of the conservative billionaires to see who can get more money from the federal government.
The government of France uses a "bonus-malus" system to encourage its citizens to go green with their next car purchase. The more fuel efficient a vehicle you buy, the bigger incentive you get. The more gas guzzling a vehicle you buy, the bigger penalty you pay. Unfortunately for France, too many people are buying fuel efficient vehicles and taking advantage of the government incentives, which means income from the gas guzzling penalty hasn't been high enough to make the program budget neutral.
Like many countries, China provides subsidies to support the use of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Considering the heavy levels of pollution often found in China's rapidly growing cities, this seems both admirable and understandable. It can also be significant, with subsidies going as high as $19,300.
Earlier today, the United States Senate rejected an amendment that would have put an end to the $6 billion in tax breaks and subsidies for producers of corn-based ethanol.
Residents of Hawai'i have less than four months to take advantage of up to $4,500 in rebates for plug-in vehicles and $500 in incentives for the purchase and installation of a home or business charging system.
As expected, a Democratic bill that would have put an end to the multi-billion-dollar annual tax subsidies for oil companies Chevron, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil failed to overcome a Republican filibuster on Tuesday evening. The heavily partisan 52-in-favor, 48-against vote fell eight shy of the 60 required to bring the bill to the floor.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore has changed his stance concerning ethanol. As vice president, Gore created subsidies for corn-based ethanol. The move, it turns out, was aimed more towards garnering votes for his upcoming presidential run than doing what's best for the environment. At a recent green energy conference in Athens, Greece, Gore said:
Earlier today, we covered the words of some auto industry insiders at the recent Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminar in Traverse City, MI, who said the didn't like that the Obama Administration was "picking winners" by funneling funds on plug-in vehicles. Well, okay, they're entitled to their opinion. But, if the industry doesn't want governments to push one particula
The debate over corn ethanol, and the federal government's strong support for the biofuel, is being debated across the U.S. Everything from the potential cost for damaged fuel systems to the possible Federal push for E15 is in the news. The discussion has even hit deep into corn country, whe
