A Free-Market Energy Blog

Products Made from Oil and Gas

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- July 1, 2024

“Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas make the manufacturing of over 6,000 everyday products and high-tech devices possible.” — U.S. DOE

According to the U.S. Department of Energy,

When you think about oil there is probably one thing that immediately comes to mind: motor oil for your car or lawn mower. And, when you hear about natural gas, you may think about heating your home, cooking, or even electric power generation.

But, there are many other uses for these hydrocarbons than what meets the eye. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas make the manufacturing of over 6,000 everyday products and high-tech devices possible.

Major petrochemicals—including ethylene, propylene, acetylene, benzene, and toluene, as well as natural gas constituents like methane, propane, and ethane—are the feedstock chemicals for the production of many of the items we use and depend on every day.

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‘Renewable Energy Still Dominates Energy Subsidies in FY 2022’

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 27, 2024

“Federal subsidies to support renewable energy formed nearly half of all federal energy-related support between fiscal years 2016 and 2022. Traditional fuels (coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear) received just 15 percent of all subsidies between FY 2016 and FY 2022, while renewables, conservation and end use received a whopping 85 percent.” (Mary Hutzler, below)

A fallacious argument in the energy/climate debate is that wind and solar are cheaper than fossil fuels in electric generation. It must be wrong because government subsidies are front-and-center for on-grid dilute, intermittent energies. And it is wrong if the federal accounting is examined (below).

Actually, the relatively small subsidies for oil, natural gas, and coal turn negative, dramatically, when the Biden Administration anti-fossil-fuel agenda is added, 225 actions worth.

Mary Hutzler of IER (and former acting head of the DOE’s Energy Information Agency) prepared this analysis less than a year ago for the Institute for Energy Research.…

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The Politicized Texas Grid: Sheridan Calls for Transparency (and Mea Culpas)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 26, 2024

“Our affection for Texas runs deep, but so does our concern over its grid. It’s time for a candid conversation about the state’s energy policies—one that acknowledges the true costs and challenges of a blindly pro-renewables approach and seeks solutions that ensure the resilience of the grid and the well-being of Texans.” (Doug Sheridan, below)

Texas is turning to government-aided natural gas to fix its broken political grid. Yes, wind and solar did that in one of the natural gas meccas of the world.

Doug Sheridan, a reliable voice on social media, posted this at LinkedIn:

It was big news last week that the Texas PUC received 125 applications for 56 GW of new gas-fired generation. The legislation behind the initiative—which appropriates $5B in state grants and loan guarantees to the plants—was intended to spur 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity on ERCOT.…

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Electricity Statism Conference: Kiesling Rides High

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 25, 2024
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Energy & Environmental Review: June 24, 2024

By -- June 24, 2024
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Restoring Sanity, Reliability, and Affordability to the Texas Electric Grid

By -- June 20, 2024
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Will “Green New Deal” Failures Elect Trump?

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 19, 2024
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Renewables vs. Environment: Hans Wolkers humbles Climate Reality Project, Kahli Burke

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 18, 2024
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EDF Loves Political Capitalism (an exchange)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 17, 2024
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UK Climate Thug Gets 10 Months (breaking windows at JPMorgan Chase)

By Robert Bradley Jr. -- June 14, 2024
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