Energy Security: America Must Act

Canada Free Press ^ | 02/14/15 | Thomas S. Mullikin

[Sean_Anthony]

Past 14 years we have fought a war against radicals in the very nations where we send hundreds of billions of dollars for energy. Americans have not only lost jobs, but young Americans fighting in these regions have lost their lives

The U.S. is experiencing an energy revolution thanks to dogged persistence and innovative minds of modern energy pioneers like the late George P. Mitchell. “Few businesspeople have done as much to change the world as George [P.] Mitchell,” reported The Economist in 2013.

Dubbed “The Father of Fracking,” Mitchell was largely responsible for kicking-starting the revolution in the 1980s and 1990s by discovering ways to efficiently and economically access shale energy reserves in North Texas through a combination of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling.

Others followed his lead, achieving energy breakthroughs in Texas and beyond. This fueled the revolution that has since given life to our economy and strengthened America’s standing in the world. For years, engineers have improved these techniques and discovered more shale formations throughout the country. Currently, the known quantity of natural gas reserves in the U.S. is approximately 323 trillion cubic feet (a nearly 100-year supply of natural gas uncovered through the safe and effective use of hydraulic fracturing.) And this figure continues to grow.