The Hill’s E2 Wire – Senators Warned of ‘Narrowing’ Opportunity to Increase Natural Gas Exports

In an ongoing series of hearings focused on American natural gas exports, the Senate Energy Committee heard from panelists on the pending LNG export applications. The president of Sempra LNG noted that “if we wait too long … we will lose the jobs” associated with U.S. LNG projects.

National Journal – Graphic: Keystone XL is More Than a Pipeline

The House is set to vote on legislation that would approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline today. In advance of the vote, NJ has an infographic that details everything from the project’s route size and how much oil it will deliver to its  supporters and opponents.

Anchorage Daily News – Governor Signs Oil Tax Cut, Budget Bills

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Today on National Maritime Day, let’s salute the merchant marines who operate the tankers that deliver the oil that makes our modern lives possible.

Think about it:  From the gasoline in our cars and trucks to the asphalt in our roads, from bicycle helmets to medical equipment, 60 percent of energy used daily by Americans is delivered by tanker.

The men and women of the maritime industry and the vessels they operate – around the clock and across the world - safely deliver the energy we need. Smaller tankers transport gasoline and other specialized petroleum products throughout the United States, while tankers  as long as the Empire State Building is tall transport crude around the globe.

Over the past decade, more than 99.9997 percent of oil delivered by tankers to the U.S. reached... more »

Kudos to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Ron Wyden for a series of hearings on natural gas issues, including Tuesday's on the impacts of exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG). It’s vital that policymakers understand the scope of America’s natural gas wealth – thanks to hydraulic fracturing – so they can make decisions that will let this wealth work for Americans. The export of LNG is a prime example.

Currently, the Energy Department is considering 18 applications for U.S. facilities that would export American LNG to friends and allies overseas. Studied analyses have projected broad job and economic benefits to the U.S. from LNG exports (here and here), with a new report this week dispelling the notion that exports would significantly impact domestic prices. These reports s... more »

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Number of Women Landing Jobs in Oil, Natural Gas Industry Growing

Good news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Of 3,900 positions added in the oil and natural gas industry nationwide in the first quarter of 2013, almost half or 1,800 were filled by women.

AEI Ideas Carpe Diem Blog – The Most Economically Successful Metropolitan Area in the Country

As a direct result of all the shale oil and natural gas activity in the Permian Basin area of West Texas, the economy of Midland is booming, writes Mark J. Perry. There is also an unprecedented construction surge taking place in the town – building permits in March skyrocketed to 347, which was a 580 percent increase from  a year ago.

Zanesville Times Recorder – Free Trade Should Include Natural Gas

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Two new reports outline the importance of crafting the right policies to capitalize on America’s vast wealth in shale natural gas.

An American Chemistry Council (ACC) analysis points to rich capital investments and job gains to be realized in that sector because of abundant, affordable supplies of shale natural gas:

• $71.7 billion in chemical industry investments publicly announced through the end of March.
• 46,000 new chemical industry jobs by 2020.
• 264,000 jobs in supplier industries by 2020.
• 226,000 induced jobs in communities where chemical industry workers spend their wages.
• $20 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.

ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley:

“The United States has become a magnet for chemical industry investment, a testament to the fav... more »