There’s always risk. Especially in businesses such as energy production. These are large projects with many moving parts—huge infrastructure requirements. Well, traditionally, at least. “Green” energy can be more small scale—solar panels, wind mills, geothermal and whatever else is out there.
In any case, the price of gasoline seems to include the cost of huge oil spills. BP seems to have paid for it’s spill and is still sitting in a good position. Oil companies must have extraordinary amounts of cash lying around.
The public has conflicting interests. They want cheap energy, and they want an unpolluted environment. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to business practices as long as nothing bad happens. When something bad happens, it’s too late to fix it.
Will people on the West Coast decide they are willing to pay more for energy in order to try to up the protection against environmental disasters? Have people made their choice about risk and pollution, already? Are they willing to accept a BP event (whose effects seem to have disappeared to where no one can see them)?
Anyway, I fail to see any action long-term taken by the feds, and even if they did take action, I’m not sure if there’s anything useful to do, other than drilling freezes. Eventually, when things have quieted down, the freezes will be lifted. For all I know, they are already gone.