Fueling Global Warming: Federal Subsidies to Oil in the United States

Extremely detailed, widely peer-reviewed, examination of subsidies to oil in the United States throughout every stage of the fuel cycle. Includes plain-language explanations of how different types of subsidy programs operate and why the are valuable to the recipient industries. This is useful background for subsidy policies even outside of the energy arena. The report includes evaluations of tax policies, direct government programs, loan subsidies, leasing arrangements, and post-closure and accident liabilities. A chapter on oil security, which provides both a theoretical and quantitative assessment of subsidies through the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and military defense of oil shipping lanes and assets takes on increased importance in the post-9/11 era. Report appendix includes detailed data tables.  The report can be accessed in full or in parts; in PDF unless otherwise noted.

Full Report  Main report
  Data appendices/subsidy calculations.

By Chapter  Executive Summary (HTML) (PDF)
  Cover and Contents
  1: Introduction
  2: Federal Tax Subsidies and Special Taxes on Oil
  3: Federal Agency Programs Supporting Oil
  4: Defending Oil Shipments
  5: Shifting Accident, Closure, and/or Post-Closure Liabilities to the Public Sector
  6: Cost of Access to Oil Resources
  7: Results and Recommendations
  References

Critiques of Report, and Our RebuttalAmerican Petroleum Institute's Attack of Fueling Global Warming: "Fueling Confusion: Deceptive Greenpeace Study Premised On Flawed Estimates Of Subsidy." Rayola Dougher, November 3, 1999. Scathing and sarcastic review of our widely peer-reviewed analysis for Greenpeace. If you are having trouble accessing the PDF file, you can view it here.

Our Rebuttal to the American Petroleum Institute:  Point-by-point dissection of the limitations in API's arguments