Veronique de Rugy on the Natural Gas Industry Cozying Up to Washington

Public outrage at cronyism and corporate welfare is growing—and that's all to the good. But don't expect well-connected special interests and politicians to go gentle into that good night. Especially if they think the darkness can be dispelled via energy subsidies that are supposed to lead to green jobs, lower gas prices, and energy independence.

The latest energy boondoggle on the table involves the natural gas industry and is called the New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act. As Veronique de Rugy explains, the bill would provide subsidies for the manufacture and purchase of cars that run on natural gas, the conversion of commercial trucks from diesel to natural gas, the creation of natural-gas filling stations, and tax preferences to favor the use of natural gas over other energy sources. And like many bad ideas, it has bipartisan support.