The Hill – Keep Climate Change Out of Keystone XL Decision, GOP Warns

In a letter, 24 Senate Republicans urged President Obama not to tie the Keystone XL pipeline project to “wholly unrelated and economically disastrous new regulatory policies.”

Bloomberg – FracFocus Drillers’ Registry to Create Chemicals Database

A revamped FracFocus website – expected next week – will now allow regulators to search and aggregate data. The Environmental Defense Fund’s Mark Brownstein called it  “a substantial improvement.”

Penn Energy – Port Arthur Stem Cracker Now Processing Shale Gas Ethane

Not commonly known, hydraulic fracturing also produces ethane – a  feedstock for manufacturers. Capitalizing on the abundance of shale production in Texas, a Port Arthur steam cracker plant will now be ab... more »

Great energy conversation this week at Real Clear Politics’ event: Fueling America’s Future. The summit’s two panels featured representatives from all of our energy sectors as well as the issues that will play large roles as policymakers debate the path that will keep our economy fueled and individual lives prospering. You can see the event here:

RealClearPolitics Energy Summit: Fueling America's Future from RealClearPolitics on FORA.tv

Regardless of whether the energy comes from water, air, the sun or the ground, some key messages/themes were echoed by all participants:

• America is rich in energy and energy technology. Far from running out, we are “running into energy.”
• America needs a true all-of-the-above approach to energy, one that emphasizes the sources that run... more »

Associated Press – Natural Gas Export Plans Stir Debate

The AP highlights describes the  natural gas export debate, which is being driven by an abundance of domestic supply. Sen. Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said officials should seek a "sweet spot" for LNG exports — allowing enough to spur drilling and increase gas supplies, but not enough to create export-driven price hikes.

Free Enterprise – Interior Secretary: Hydraulic Fracturing is "Essential"

Free Enterprise’s Sean Hackbarth recaps Secretary Sally Jewell’s recent testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee during which she stated that hydraulic fracturing is an “essential technology” that “can be done safely and responsibly.”

The Post-Journal – Hydraulic Fracturing Is A... more »

AEI Ideas – The Economic Ripple Effect of the Bakken Shale Boom

Blogger Mark J. Perry writes about a recent analysis by the Minneapolis Fed that delved into the economic impact of increased shale development in the Bakken area of North Dakota. The report found that counties within 100 miles of the Bakken experienced the next-largest increase in wages and the next-lowest level of unemployment, compared to other counties in the state.

CNBC – Marcellus Shale Turns Pennsylvania into ‘Saudi Arabia’ of Natural Gas

CNBC highlights the surge in natural gas production through hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale play. The Marcellus "is at the sunrise of this [energy] renaissance. This is going to be just the beginning of an economic juggernaut for the US and Pennsylvania."

Fuel Fix... more »

The Atlantic – How Oil Made Working-Class North Dakota a Whole Lot Richer

In North Dakota’s Bakken Shale formation, Americans have been able to find high-paying work in the oil and natural gas industry as the state’s employment number grew by more than 35 percent from 2007 to 2011. But another part of this American success story is that jobs and paychecks have surged across industries – including technical services, transport, construction and food services.

Reuters Canada – TransCanada to Build $900 Million Alberta Oil Pipeline, Terminal

Keystone XL opponents claim that stopping the pipeline will keep Canada’s oil sands in the ground. However, as the U.S. waits for President Obama to decide on the Keystone XL Canada is moving forward with plans to move its growing crude oil suppli... more »