The energy boom is great, but should “independence” be our goal?

I recently penned the cover article (see page 46) for “Basin Resources” on the topic of “energy independence” for their summer 2014 issue. With the amount of oil and gas coming online in the United States due to new technologies and the fracking process, some are talking anew about “energy independence,” a supposed goal of presidential administrations since the Nixon years.

Rio Grande Foundation is a huge cheerleader for exploring for and embracing those new-found energy sources, but “independence” implies abandoning free trade (or, given current prohibitions on international trade in oil and gas) failing to embrace it. This is not a wise approach for producing states like New Mexico, nor is it in line with free trade which provides benefits for a vast majority of the population. Again, check out the article which begins on page 46 here.