MICHAEL BARONE: Free Market, Not Government Policies, Drives Energy Boom.

The administration has shut down much offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico (even though Obama cheered Petrobras’ drilling off the shore of Brazil) and has been denying permits for oil drilling in Alaska that is needed to keep the pipeline pumping. This on top of environmental groups’ successful attempts to prevent drilling on the desolate tundra of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The State Department has even been stalling on approving the Keystone pipeline from the tar sands of Alberta to refineries in Oklahoma and Texas. Environmental groups object to drilling techniques Canada allows.

It’s unclear why we should feel called on to second-guess the internal regulations of a competent and environmentally-conscious nation like Canada. And it’s incomprehensible why we should want to keep out a plentiful supply of oil from a dependable and friendly neighbor.

There is a lesson here for public policy generally, including health care. No centralized government expert predicted the vast expansion in energy supply from hydraulic fracking. It was produced by decentralized specialists in firms subject to market competition.

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