Home to merely 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States consumes a disproportionate 24 percent of its energy. Shale gas has become a viable and readily available source of energy in the United States and has, in recent decades, taken a preeminent role in domestic energy production. Fracking stimulates economic activity and reduces foreign energy dependence. The shale gas and oil industry has become conscious of the need to adhere to stricter safety standards and has made a concerted move toward sustainability. Therefore, the benefits of fracking are multifold and the flaws are manageable.
Though renewable energy is a steadily growing energy alternative, it does not currently have the capacity to supplant oil and natural gas sources. According to an energy review conducted by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), natural gas produced 24.89 percent of domestic energy in 2013 and renewable resources a mere 9.3 percent. Fracking stands as a practical means to guarantee energy security while alternative sources of energy are being developed.
Fracking technology has allowed the United States to increase energy security and independence. First implemented in 2008, a combination of fracturing technology and directional drilling has expanded access to vast reserves of shale gas, allowing us to take advantage of a resource right at our feet. This supply will enable the United States to meet rapidly growing energy demands and preserve quality of life for current and future generations. Additionally, increased use of shale gas creates geopolitical benefits, like greater energy self-sufficiency. According to the EIA, total U.S. energy imports declined in 2013 to their lowest level in more than two decades due to increased domestic production of oil and natural gas. Energy independence insulates the United States from shortages, price fluctuations, and pressures in the global energy market.
Fracking offers multiple economic benefits, prompting capital investment and creating jobs in languishing local economies. Availability of shale gas keeps energy prices low for American consumers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 21st Century Energy Institute reports that fracking has already created 1.7 million jobs and will create 1.8 million more by 2035.
Producing energy at the magnitude required by today’s needs will inevitably adverse environmental consequences. Thus, it is necessary to weigh the relative environmental disruption of fuel options against their relative availability and cost. With increased shale gas production, the United States can begin to supplant coal usage, which entails higher carbon emissions, air pollution, and water usage than natural gas usage does. Also, groundwater contamination from fracking operations are preventable by stricter regulations and the adoption of safety innovations. With increasing pressure upon shale gas suppliers to strengthen public trust and accountability, more companies are swapping out harmful chemicals in fracking liquids for safer alternatives, and publicly disclosing chemicals used at well sites. Cutting-edge technologies include those that use electric currents to remove contaminants from water so it can be reused and that utilize a completely non-toxic additive to replace typical chemical mixtures.
The U.S. government should support fracking because it offers a variety of geopolitical and economic benefits. It is a pragmatic solution that allows the concurrent development of alternative energy sources. The drawbacks of fracking are comparable to those of other fuels in use and, with the incorporation of additional environmental technologies and safety mechanisms, continued fracking will be the prudent choice for our nation.
