US energy policy passed a milestone of sorts earlier this month after two companies revealed they had been given permission by the US commerce department to export “condensate”, an ultra-light form of oil, after minimal processing. Unfortunately the broader ban on US crude oil exports imposed after the 1970s Arab oil embargo remains in place. The White House was quick to clarify that the permissions were exceptional. Similar if somewhat less restrictive inhibitions apply to the export of US liquefied natural gas – the fruits of its hydraulic fracking boom. Barack Obama’s administration is resisting the European Union’s demand to include an energy chapter in the transatlantic trade and investment partnership. He should think again. If TTIP is to fulfil anything close to its ambitions, it must tackle energy. Add in the threat Vladimir Putin poses to Europe’s energy security and the case looks unanswerable. The time has come to put an end to US energy protectionism.
這個月初，美國的能源政策跨越了一個勉強算是里程碑的里程碑。兩家公司透露，它們獲得了美國商務部的許可，可以出口「凝析油」，一種經過最少加工程式獲得的超輕質油。不幸的是，美國在20世紀70年代阿拉伯石油禁運後實行的更廣泛的原油出口禁令依然有效。白宮方面迅速出面澄清，稱這些許可只是例外。對於水力壓裂(hydraulic fracking)技術的大力推廣帶來的液化天然氣，也存在類似的出口禁令，只不過限制程度或許稍低一些。巴拉克•歐巴馬(Barack Obama)的政府正在抵制歐盟(EU)將能源納入《跨大西洋貿易與投資夥伴關係協定》(TTIP)的要求。歐巴馬應該三思。如果TTIP真的想要達成目標，就必須解決能源問題。再加上俄羅斯總統弗拉迪米爾•普丁(Vladimir Putin)對歐洲能源安全形成的威脅，這樣做的理由看上去就更無可辯駁了。是時候終結美國的能源保護主義了。