This entire thread is one big "Replace whale oil in lamps? Never happen. Only whale oil will give us the light we need".
I'm off to the blacksmith on old Paint, Ma. Back in two days.
When did the government subsidize the drilling of oil?
And that matters why, exactly? NASA? Nah, let them send a man to the moon only if it makes a profit (next quarter).
"As of July 2014, Oil Change International estimates United States fossil fuel subsidies at
$37.5 billion annually, including $21 billion in production and exploration subsidies. Other credible estimates of annual United States fossil fuel subsidies range from $10 billion to $52 billion annually – yet none of these include costs borne by taxpayers related to the climate, local environmental, and health impacts of the fossil fuel industry. "
Fossil Fuel Subsidies & Finance - Oil Change International
And have you heard of - Ethanol?
"Since its creation of the domestic market for corn ethanol after the energy crisis of the 1970s, the federal government has nurtured and maintained the ethanol industry with a steady stream of subsidies.
Originally sold as a way to achieve energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, ethanol has been a favorite of many lawmakers: ethanol producers have received favorable treatment under the tax code, tariff protection from foreign competition, and even a government mandate for its use. As a result, taxpayers have spent billions of dollars over the last 30 years subsidizing the production of corn ethanol, while at the same time creating unintended costs for consumers and the environment."
Federal Subsidies for Corn Ethanol and Other Corn-Based Biofuels | Taxpayers for Common Sense
But no, no, no,. we can't subsidies Solar or Wind (or anything else that doesn't pollute the environment - that would be wrong).