News Analysis Energy prices are soaring everywhere, prompting governments to consider support measures to mitigate the financial strain put on consumers’ wallets. But these costly policy tools could add to inflationary pressures and hinder central banks’ tightening efforts, says one market analyst. Federal and state governments are still exploring various mechanisms that could be employed to cushion the blows from higher oil and gas prices. The White House has reportedly considered multiple tools to alleviate the pain at the pump, including suspending the 18.3-cent gas tax and shipping gas cards to Americans to help offset $4-a-gallon gasoline. But the administration faced opposition from congressional committees. President Joe Biden announced that he would release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserves for the next six months. But some disputed the efficacy of this initiative since the U.S. consumes about 17 million barrels per day. In …