Oil Prices - should USA impose a minimum price/barrel?

[dkri...@yahoo.com]

Oil prices have dropped from some $140/barrel to $70/barrel since the
summer while demand has not dropped.

My question: should the U.S. impose a "price support" system on
gasoline prices, impose a _minimum price_ on a barrel of oil (say $100/
barrel)

The reason why I ask this is that unless energy producers know that
there will be a minimum price for their product, they are _not_ going
to invest in alternate energy sources and OPEC (whose cost of
production CONTINUES TO BE MUCH LOWER THAN THE PRICE THAT _THEY_ SET)
will CONTINUE to _jerk us around_.

We do the same thing for the price of grain. Why not oil? And why
not now? Otherwise WE'LL NEVER BREAK FREE OF OPEC.

Dennis