(1) I'll concede that at least on paper, restrictions on nuclear have been eased. A few have been approved. No new or expanded are as yet on line as far as I know.
Time will tell whether other restrictions will be put in place, or whether we are looking at an example similar to the Canada La pipeline. I hope you are right.
(2) I never said that we are not part of the worldwide energy market. Thatwe are is true. What is not true is the notion that because we are now a part of the world market that increasing supply will not lower costs. If, somehow we did increase energy output (not necessarily oil) to the point that US prices were so low that other world suppliers would no longer sell us energy, would that not indicate that we have won the decades old quest to make ourselves energy independent? Let France and Japan buy their energy from the mideast at $100 a barrel, while we are paying $50, and watch the jobs return home. If, due to low prices we become a supplier to the rest of the world, then the market would tend to level out, but at a price lower than the present prices. That's how the market works. If we do produce more than we can use, why is that a bad thing? The only possible reason that then the "alternate" market would fall on its face. Already, NG prices have fallen to the point that some nuclear projects have been postponed as being non economical.
The bolded statement just makes no sense. Of course, if new drilling produces more product, it will increase world supplies, which will drive prices down. How much depends on the increase in world supply and demand.
