That is a much more complex question than asking about lowering the price of gasoline, for example.
I know they could lower the price of gasoline or any number of products they sell to consumers.
Exxon/Mobil, as an example, is now selling at 12 times earnings. IBM is selling at 16 times earnings.
So if XOM management decided to decrease their profits...where would it leave them...like, out of work?
It's all about supply and demand...the government restricts the supply (preventing drilling and construction of refineries) and increases the demand (restricting efficiency for the supposed benifits to the environment).
If we elected the Senior Management of "Big Oil" to run our Government we'd be in great shape!
When something is extracted from federal land, like oil, how much of a cut does the government get?