Oil is often subsidized directly too. Same reason why agriculture is - too vital of an industry. Which might make sense from a national security standpoint - b

Oil is often subsidized directly too. Same reason why agriculture is - too vital of an industry. Which might make sense from a national security standpoint - but it also gives the oil industry yet another reason to fight tooth and nail against anything that can diminish the importance of oil. If oil ever became non-vital to the country's infrastructure and economy, those subsidies would stop, and the entire industry might go the way of British coal.