More evidence that shale energy in Ohio is looming as an economic dynamo.

First, an op-ed from the Coshocton Tribune discusses ways southeast Ohio can prepare for economic growth stemming from shale energy development. Consultant Jim Evans:

“With current interest in the area's Utica shale resources, there once again is hope for jobs and economic prosperity. Estimates of the numbers of jobs that could be generated vary based on who is making the prediction, but even the most conservative estimates offer promise. If oil and gas development comes to fruition, companies who supply the oil and gas industry will obviously have opportunities to prosper. However, good fortune won't only be reserved for direct suppliers. Most area businesses will have an unparalleled opportunity to capital... more »

Over on the White House Blog, there’s genuine enthusiasm for natural gas, and for good reason.  Natural gas is clean-burning, affordable and so abundant that a number of experts describe it as a game-changer, a 100-year energy source.

In the here and now, natural gas that comes from shale through hydraulic fracturing is lifting state and regional economies while revitalizing the U.S. manufacturing sector. Heather Zichal, deputy assistant to the president for energy and climate change:

“Since taking office, President Obama has supported an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs. As part of that effort, the Administration has focused on expanding production of natural gas. A... more »

There’s a good story going on in Lorain, Ohio, a steel town that has seen ups and downs. Thanks to the surge in production of energy from shale in neighboring Pennsylvania, the current trend is decidedly up.

John Wilkinson, who manages U.S. Steel’s Lorain tubular operations facility that makes steel pipe, says good years (2007-08) were followed by the economic downturn in 2009. Layoffs were ordered. Shale has played a big role in turning things around, building demand for steel products including casings to line wells and extraction tubing. Wilkinson:

“Now with the upturn in the economy, the things we’re seeing from the Marcellus Shale and the increase in production, we’ve had the opportunity to recall almost all of those people and actually hire an additional 300 people in the la... more »

Editor’s note, 5/3: The event has concluded; see below for the archived videos.

There’s not a better venue for a high-level discussion of energy, jobs and economic growth than Ohio, where energy-driven expectations are soaring – given the growth from shale development in neighboring Pennsylvania and accelerating work in Ohio’s own Utica Shale play. Thus, today’s “Ohio Energy Jobs Summit” is well located.

Hosted by The Hill newspaper and sponsored by the Coalition for American Jobs, the summit has an array of speakers and panelists scheduled including Gov. John Kasich, U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio and API President and CEO Jack Gerard.

Ohio voters certainly have strong expectations for shale exploration and development. A Quinnipiac poll in January showed they overwhelmingly belie... more »

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer is worried about the impact of the potential loss of Iranian oil on the global crude market. Reuters reports:

The United States should do more to encourage Saudi Arabia to boost its oil production to make up for lost Iranian oil, Senator Charles Schumer said on Sunday, urging renewed diplomacy as a way to ease the run-up in oil prices. … A public promise from Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, to pump oil at its full capacity would calm oil markets as well as gasoline prices, Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said in a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Without saying so directly, Schumer’s point is that, yeah, supply matters. Global markets respond positively and negatively to ups and downs in supply – hence Schumer’s... more »