In President Obama's State of the Union address, the "all of the above" energy policy approach was discussed and favored by the president as the best option to create jobs, ensure energy security, and cut carbon emissions. However, Obama's definition of the "all of the above" energy approach should be limited to natural gas production and renewables.
A true "all of the above" approach would still rely heavily on crude oil production, nuclear energy generation, and even more efficient coal. The president should be applauded for his efforts in reducing carbon emissions but a true "all of the above" approach would force our energy policy to choose either carbon emission goals or energy security. Both lofty goals cannot be achieved inclusively and the sooner we realize this and let free markets dictate winners, the sooner our own policy will stop standing in our way to accomplish our energy goals.
This segment is from Thursday's edition of "Digging for Value," in which sector analysts Joel South and Taylor Muckerman discuss energy and materials news with host Alison Southwick. The twice-weekly show can be viewed on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It can also be found on Twitter, along with our extended coverage of the energy and materials sectors @TMFEnergy.
