Pennsylvania- So Much For Energy Independence

Deals would export natural gas to India, Japan
By Andrew Maykuth, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: April 02, 2013

"Dominion Resources announced Monday that it had secured buyers for essentially the entire capacity of the proposed plant at Cove Point, Md., which is tied directly by pipeline to Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale gas field."According to the article this could involve up to 1.32 billion cubic feet of gas a day. I was under the impression we relaxed rules on hydrofracturing so we could achieve energy independence.

Couple this with the proposed XL pipeline. About 20% of the oil from the completed pipeline would end up in Texas's Gulf Coast refineries. Refineries which are already exporting "more than 60% of the gasoline they produced, 40% of their diesel output and 95% of their petroleum coke in 2012". As if that weren't bad enough, these refineries are located in a 'Foreign Trade Zone' where they are exported TAX FREE. Incidentally there are dozens more of these zones in th United States.

In 2011 the United States exported over 20% of our oil while at the same time we imported millions of barrels a day from some 80 other nations.

Here we are risking pollution by drilling in Pennsylvania, Alaska, the Gulf Waters and in dozens of other states in an effort to become energy independent. Then we turn around and export of 20% of our oil and another 18 billion cubic feet of our own domestically produced gas in 2011. Now this proposal which could export as much as 1.32 billion cubic feet MORE PER DAY ALONE by 2017!

Anyone thinking this is how we achieve energy independence is
either ignorant beyond belief or needs to put down the pipe.

It's impossible to export alterative energy sources like wind, water and solar. Now you understand why energy companies do everything in their power to block future development. So too the huge industry that has evolved around removing the containments via the continued use of fossil fuels. Then there are the owners of the world's 4,024 oil tankers which aren't too hot on the idea either.

Given all the vested interests, don't look for a lot of support coming from the private sector for alternative energy. Washington either for that matter!