[shaftway]

Wouldn't taxes be able to come down by a commensurate amount?

Isn't fossil fuel subsidies just a way to spread the cost from those who consume the fuel (directly or indirectly) to those who don't?

[goatinaboat]

Wouldn't taxes be able to come down by a commensurate amount?

No, because the “subsidy” is just that some people feel that taxes on fuel should be higher. Nowhere is the price of fuel less than the cost of extracting and refining it, which it would be if it were a true subsidy.

[gizmo686]

No, there are explicit subsidies given to fossil fuels. https://www.treasury.gov/open/Documents/USA%20FFSR%20progres...

[reitzensteinm]

While true, those numbers are tiny. When people talk about fossil fuel subsidies, they're usually talking about the externalities not being accounted for, or the cost of wars/military.

[mywittyname]

Probably not; the USA runs a huge deficit.