President Obama Touts Fracking Jobs?

"Investing In America: Building An Economy That Lasts"

Last week the White House issued its latest report on jobs and it includes a section on "America's Natural Resource Boom," which states that a few years ago there were widespread "fears of a looming natural gas shortage," but that:

"the discovery of new natural gas reserves, such as the Marcellus Shale, and the development of hydraulic fracturing techniques to extract natural gas from these reserves has led to rapidly growing domestic production and relatively low domestic prices for households and downstream industrial users." 

This is probably the first time the White House has favorably mentioned the Marcellus Shale, the natural gas reservoir below Pennsylvania, West Virginia and other Northeastern states. The administration appears to be  taking credit for this soaring production.  As the White House report puts it:

"Of the major fossil fuels, natural gas is the cleanest and least carbon‐intensive for electric power generation. By keeping domestic energy costs relatively low, this resource also supports energy intensive manufacturing in the United States. In fact, companies like Dow Chemical and Westlake Chemical have announced intentions to make major investments in new facilities over the next several years.In addition, firms that provide equipment for shale gas production have announced major investments in the U.S., including Vallourec's $650 million plant for steel pipes in Ohio. An abundant local supply will translate into relatively low costs for the industries that use natural gas as an input. Expansion in these industries, including industrial chemicals and fertilizers, will boost investment and exports in the coming years, generating new jobs."

The report does add the obligatory disclaimer about hydraulic fracturing that:

"appropriate care must to be taken to ensure that America's natural resources are extracted in a safe and environmentally responsible manner" with safeguards "to protect public health and safety." 

The endorsement appears to run against energy policies pursued by the Obama Administration for three years. The Institute for Energy Research reports that royalties from oil and gas drilling have fallen more than 90% since 2008 because of Interior Department permitting delays and rejections.  The EPA recently issued a report on groundwater contamination that could shut down the fracking process the President is now touting as a jobs producer. EPA's political goal is to grab power to supercede state drilling regulation. The industry regards new EPA authority as a real threat to its future. The Securities and Exchange Commission has imposed extensive new reporting requirements on oil and gas fracking companies.

Smart politics or a one-year wonder?  And if he wins President Obama might revert to form in 2013.(WSJ, 1/17/2012)

Center Hydraulic Fracturing Evaluation Criteria