Karl W. Smith, Columnist

Fracking Is a Powerful Weapon Against Russia

The technology can increase the total supply of oil and keep a lid on prices.

February 24, 2022 at 8:00 PM UTC

Karl W. Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Previously, he was vice president for federal policy at the Tax Foundation and assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina.

How to curb Russian aggression.
Photographer: David McNew/Getty Images North America

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Fracking may be America’s most powerful weapon against Russian aggression.

President Joe Biden’s administration was already working to bring down gasoline prices before the crisis and war in Ukraine. Those measures, however, mostly depended on quick fixes such as a suspension of the federal gas tax or an opening of the strategic petroleum reserve. They would do little to relieve the financial hardship of U.S. consumers and nothing to weaken Russia’s geopolitical position.