THE HILL POLL: Expand drilling to ease energy crisis, voters say - TheHill.com
People are clueless. Refining capacity is maxed out across the country. Released strategic reserves will have nowhere to go, and not address any of the elements of current fuel price increases; supply is not a problem. The increase in fuel prices is a result of the spot and future cost of unrefined petroleum - driven by political turmoil across the Middle East - being laid off on the consumer by refiners, wholesalers and brokers. Drivers are not paying at the pump for a lack of supply, or for the average cost of petroleum currently being refined into gasoline. Any amount of “free” government stockpiles released to refiners will have almost no effect on prices at the pump, and the government will have to acquire at spot prices to replenish the strategic reserves.
Not to mention that it is entirely open to debate whether prices of $4 p.g. constitute an “energy crisis”.