The Great Energy Scam How a plan to cut oil imports turned into a corporate giveaway. A TIME investigation By DONALD L. BARLETT AND JAMES B. STEELE You would think that a modern industrial process that creates $1 billion a year in profits would make its creators and operators proud. You'd think they would be doubly pleased with themselves for doing it under the banner of reducing America's dependence on foreign energy. In fact, you'd think they would want their names in the paper and awards on their wall. But in the case of a strange kind of American alchemy...