America is power hungry — we use more gas, coal and oil than ever before. We're hungry for power in a completely different way — a very privileged elite stands to make their fortunes on the sale of fossil fuels. And wherever there is money, there is also the possibility of corruption.

Subsidies for energy, like most industries, come primarily in the form of tax breaks. The U.S. government spent $101 billion on energy subsidies between 2002 and 2008. This staggering sum is the equivalent of every man, woman, and child in the U.S. paying approximately $45 per year in additional taxes to make up for the loss of revenue.