2014 State of the Union address: on Energy & Oil

Green Party: Natural gas does not result in climate justice

So few are fooled by this State of the Union because so many have been betrayed by those who sat in that congressional chamber the other night. When the President introduces a man horribly maimed after ten tours in Afghanistan, Washington wants us to understand that their plan requires our continued sacrifice. And they are right that it does.

Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, US reduced CO2 tonnage, but that's only 6%

The US emitted 5,491 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2011. That's 362 million metric tons fewer than what was emitted in the US in 2003.

But some perspective is in order. The US improvement results are different when the reduction amount is measured by the percentage change. By that measure, dozens of countries fared better than the US, which reduced its emissions by 6.2%, including Also noteworthy, the EIA credited most of the U.S. reduction in carbon pollution to slower economic growth, weather, higher gasoline prices and an increasing shift from coal to natural gas--not necessarily the government's energy policy, as claimed by Ob

Barack Obama: FactCheck: Yes, more domestic oil, but due to new technology

That's true. The latest figures from the nonpartisan experts at the Energy Information Administration show domestic oil production averaged 7.5 million barrels per day last year, while net imports of petroleum averaged 6.2 million barrels. And that's the first time since 1992 that domestic production exceeded net imports.

But as we've often noted, the remarkable boom in U.S. oil production is chiefly the result of new drilling technology--using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing or "fracking"--and not of any government policy.

Barack Obama: Natural gas is a "bridge fuel"; then go solar

One of the reasons why is natural gas--if extracted safely, it's the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.

It's not just oil and natural gas production that's booming; we're becoming a global leader in solar, too. Every four minutes, another American home or business goes solar; every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job can't be outsourced. Let's continue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it, so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do.

Barack Obama: Debate is settled: climate change is a fact

Cathy McMorris-Rodgers: FactCheck: Natural gas lowered CO2 only temporarily

FactCheck: It's certainly been a good stretch. But the party may be over.

The US energy sector's carbon dioxide emissions actually ticked up 2% last year, the country's first annual increase in three years, according to new Energy Information Administration data released earlier this month. And the reason for the ups and downs had little to do with the policies Obama put in place and much to do with industry trends tied to the good old marketplace of supply and demand. Just look at the EIA report: Natural gas prices had hit a historic low in 2012, part of a longer trend that led to the major emission cuts Obama took credit for. But those prices also started to tick back up, pushing electric utilities to burn more coal--and in turn pollute more.

Roy Blunt: Every GOP Senator wants Keystong XL pipeline