The federal government has paid US$74 billion for energy subsidies to support R&D for nuclear power ($50 billion) and fossil fuels ($24 billion) from 1973 to 2003. During this same timeframe, renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency received a total of US$26 billion.
To help extract ourselves from current and future embroilments in the middle east, improve our economy, environment and health we should be subsidizing clean, renewable energy at the same level as traditional fossil fuels.