Opinion

The Iran war didn't make your heating bill this high. Blue-state energy policy did

The US has just 130 operable refineries, down from 301 in 1982

By Dave Bovee Fox News

Published October 12, 2026 7:00am EDT

Comments Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Print Email Add Fox News on Google

close

Video

High energy prices rank among voters' top concerns

Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy has the latest on the world's energy crisis and the G7 nations' big announcement on 'Special Report.'

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Heating season is here, and the Iran war is getting the blame for higher energy prices. The war explains the timing. It doesn't explain the vulnerability.

America produces enormous amounts of oil and gas. Why do prices jump when the Persian Gulf flares? Because oil trades on a world market. A crisis anywhere moves prices everywhere.

But the real problem is policies at the state level that have kept us from truly unleashing the bounty of our domestic energy supply.

CHEVRON CEO WARNS IRAN CONFLICT HAS CREATED 'VERY REAL' THREAT TO GLOBAL OIL SUPPLIES AS GAS PRICES CLIMB

It’s been well documented that we have a refinery shortage. The country has 130 operable refineries, down from 301 in 1982, and no major new refinery has been built in the U.S. since 1976. Here in the Northeast, when we lost the Philadelphia Energy Solutions plant, we lost about 335,000........

© Fox News