# How an obscure, 100-year old law is disrupting U.S. energy

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2024-04-18
- Length: 40m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy

## Summary

Colin Grabow, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, explains how the Jones Act, a 1920 maritime law requiring domestic cargo to be shipped on U.S.-built, owned, and crewed vessels, distorts U.S. energy markets. He details how this creates a vicious cycle of uncompetitive American shipbuilding, forcing energy products like LNG and oil to be shipped internationally rather than domestically, as seen with Puerto Rico importing from Nigeria while U.S. LNG exports to Spain. The episode covers the law's history, its economic impacts on fuel supply and offshore wind deployment, and the political dynamics that prevent its repeal despite its high costs.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=1) Introduction and Jones Act Basics
- [2:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=175) History of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920
- [8:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=497) The Vicious Cycle of U.S. Shipbuilding Costs
- [12:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=739) Mode Shift from Water to Land Transport
- [15:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=930) Distorted Fuel Supply Chains and LNG
- [21:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=1302) Impact on Offshore Wind Deployment
- [29:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy#t=1760) Political Dynamics and Repeal Prospects

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Cato Institute (company)
- Energy Impact Partners (company)
- Energy Hub (company)
- Latitude Media (company)
- Wall Street Journal (other)
- GAO (other)
- U.S. International Trade Commission (other)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-04-18-how-an-obscure-100-year-old-law-is-disrupting-u-s-energy. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.