Posts tagged "Energy Security"

UPDATE: Ohio Congressman Bill Johnson Appointed to House Energy and Commerce Committee

Sunday, March 10th, 2013 | 0 Comments

UPDATE (3/10/13 1:15 pm ET)

This week was the 66th annual Ohio Oil and Gas Association winter meeting. The entire Energy in Depth team joined over 1,500 guests to talk about energy and natural gas development in Ohio. One of the guests was U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson, (R-Marietta) from eastern Ohio’s 6th District. The congressman gave the keynote address talking about his role on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

While addressing the crowd, Congressman Johnson talked about the committee’s oversight on the EPA as they conduct their long-term study on hydraulic fracturing, and how he and the others on the committee will watch very carefully the actions of EPA.

We can go after this resource, we can harvest it efficiently, we can harvest it effectively , and we can do it in a way that protects the environment, we have proven that. – Congressman Bill Johnson

It is good to see that the hard-working members of Ohio’s congressional delegation are focused on the issues of the day concerning Ohio’s shale development and environment and realize that both can and do happen without impacting each other with negative consequences.

–Original post from December 6, 2012–

If you missed the news last week, Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) announced five new members to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Among the appointees is Ohio’s own Bill Johnson (R-Marietta), who represents Ohio’s 6^th Congressional District.

Rep. Johnson joins Rep. Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) as Ohio’s members on the committee, providing valuable experience and an understanding of how shale development is not only changing the lives of Ohioans, but also how it is influencing the larger, national energy picture.

With the state emerging as a leader in domestic energy production, the appointment comes at a vital time in the early stages of development of our oil and natural gas resources. Congressman Johnson’s district includes Mahoning, Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Washington County, Athens, Meigs, Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto Counties – the heart of eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale formation.

Founded on December 14, 1795  (as the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures), the Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest standing legislative committee in the House of Representatives. In addition to energy policy, the body is responsible for the nation’s telecommunications, consumer protection, food and drug safety, public health research, environmental quality and interstate and foreign commerce.

The committee is charged with the oversight of multiple cabinet-level Departments and independent agencies, including the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Health and Human Services and the .

Following the appointment, Congressman Johnson released a statement highlighting both the honor of serving on the prestigious committee, and the importance of the body’s scope on eastern and southeastern Ohio:

I am humbled and honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee — the oldest, and one of the most influential, legislative committees in Congress. The Energy and Commerce Committee oversees America’s energy, healthcare, and telecommunications industries that are so vital to the economic growth of Eastern and Southeastern Ohio… Having a seat on Energy and Commerce is a great responsibility and will provide Eastern and Southeastern Ohio with a more prominent voice on important policy issues that affect our lives. – Congressman Bill Johnson (11/30/12)

Last year, in a guest column for Energy in Depth, Congressman Johnson discussed the great potential of eastern Ohio’s Utica Shale as a means to return to American Exceptionalism. This is a notion we see already coming into fruition as the region has seen an increase in revenue and investment, as well as a decline in unemployment rates thanks to the oil and natural gas industry – a fact not lost on the Congressman:

From an energy perspective, we’re sitting on top of virtually all of the coal and natural gas in Ohio, Domestic energy is everything people are talking about in southeast Ohio, and it’s revitalizing our economy. – Congressman Bill Johnson (Johnson Named To Energy Committee, 12/2/12)

Ohio’s role in America’s energy future is prominent. Our oil and natural gas resources in the Utica Shale and shale formations across the country will propel our nation’s economic recovery and drive us to what has been an ambition for every president and congress for the past four decades – energy security.

Congressman Johnson has worked diligently to promote the safe, responsible development of our homegrown energy, and his commitment to both America’s energy policy and eastern Ohio’s economic revitalization make the representative a natural fit for the committee. This was recognized by Chairman Upton in his selection, including recognition of the importance the committee holds in our future prosperity.

I look forward to working with Bill to further our commitment to creating jobs, making America more energy independent, and spurring economic growth.  – E&CC Chairman Fred Upton (11/30/12)

Energy in Depth Ohio would like to congratulate Congressman Johnson for his appointment, and we can all be thankful to have another representative from the Great State of Ohio serving on the House Energy and Commerce Committee at this juncture in our state’s history.

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Tags: Congressman Bill Johnson, Congressman Bob Latta, Congressman Fred Upton, Department of Commerce, Energy, Energy Policy, Energy Security, EPA, House Energy and Commerce Committee, Hydraulic fracturing, Utica Shale

Shale Gas is a Game Changer In Ohio and Across the World

Saturday, January 26th, 2013 | 0 Comments

In Ohio, you would get some weird looks if you walked down the street touting the Browns as a Super Bowl contender next year. I was met with the same reaction upon reading a recent letter to the editor in the Columbus Dispatch, “Don’t believe what you hear about shale gas.”  In this case, the topic was not American football, but rather a foreign journalist’s opinions on the energy revolution underway in the United States.

While there is certainly room for debate, a review of opinions around the globe support the idea that America’s newfound abundance of natural resources is more than just a passing fad, and is instead resulting in significant, and sustainable, developments at home and abroad.

For example, earlier this year coal, for the first time in our nation’s history, is no longer the leading source of fuel for electricity generation.  According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), as of April 2012 that privilege is now shared with natural gas thanks to the abundant quantities that have been unleashed through hydraulic fracturing.

What else has hydraulic fracturing helped achieve?  Well, also according to the EIA, it has increased oil production in North Dakota from roughly 100,000 barrels of oil per day (BPD) in 2007 to over 747,000 BPD in December 2012.  As a result, the state now has the nation’s lowest unemployment rate and its shipping crude oil to east coast refineries which is helping to displace more expensive sources of foreign oil.

This, of course, is just one example of a larger trend that has resulted in the United States becoming a net exporter of petroleum products for the first time in over 60 years.

Taken together, all of these factors led the International Energy Agency (IEA) to recently declare that the global energy map “is being redrawn by the resurgence in oil and gas production in the United States.” The report also notes that, by 2020, the United States will displace Saudi Arabia as the world’s largest oil producer.

But the trend isn’t limited to oil.  Indeed, hydraulic fracturing has unleashed massive supplies of natural gas across the nation.  In fact, in just four years the amount of natural gas pulled from the Marcellus Shale has bottomed out prices for the commodity.  Once trading at $11 per unit in 2008, producers are now lucky to catch prices north of $3 per unit.

How is this possible? Quite simply, shale wells across the United States are unleashing prolific amounts of natural gas that are blowing apart pre-established markets.  Take for example the fact that a single company’s Marcellus Shale wells are producing over 1 billion cubic of feet of natural gas each day.  What can 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas provide?  Well, it can supply over 24,000 homes with electricity for an entire year. It can also provide enough fuel for 86,000 natural gas vehicles to travel from Boston to San Francisco.

This significant uptick in natural gas production is already rattling global markets.  Russia, which has long wielded its natural gas supplies as an energy weapon over eastern Europe, has already agreed to re-examine the price of limited long-term contracts. The reason, you ask? Increased U.S. natural gas production has led supplies previous destined for U.S. to other nations.

Don’t take my word for it; a report from the James A Baker Institute for Public Policy predicted this trend well before it began.  Their ultimate assessment was that Russia’s market share of European natural gas supplies could erode from 27% to 13% thereby reducing Russia’s leverage over our European allies.

Given this set of circumstances, Russia is starting to take notice.  In fact, last year the Wall Street Journal noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the state owned utility Gasprom to, as the WSJ put it, “retune its strategy to adapt to the growing threat from shale gas.”

It won’t just be Russia that suffers. According to the Baker Institute, U.S. shale gas will help diminish the petro-power of major natural gas producers and will be a “major factor” in limiting global dependence on the Middle East, Russia and Venezuela as well as other unstable regions.  One of the report’s authors summed this up succinctly, stating: “the petro-power of Russia, Venezuela and Iran is faltering on the back of plentiful American natural gas supply.”  

These aren’t the opinions of individuals hyping the United States “shale gale,” rather they are the assessments of some of the world’s foremost authorities on energy policy.  For those who want to believe otherwise, I have some tickets to see the Browns play in the Super Bowl next year if you’re interested.

*Editor’s Note: This column was published in the Columbus Dispatch

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Tags: Energy In Depth, Energy Security, Joel Rudicil, OOGA, Shale energy, Utica-Point Pleasant

Election Day

Tuesday, November 6th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.― Franklin D. Roosevelt

Today is Election Day.  Across Ohio – and across the country – citizens are casting their vote for the candidates and issues they support.

Regardless of party or ideological affiliation, there are two facts all parties can agree on: This year’s election stands among the most important in recent history, and the importance and focus on America’s energy future has never been greater.

Once again, the old phrase comes back into play – ‘As goes Ohio, so goes the nation’. Though candidates on both sides of the aisle have recognized Ohio’s pivotal role in national politics, there has also been a recognition of our state’s emergence as a leader in domestic energy production through Utica Shale development.

Ohio has seen tremendous benefits in the past year from the safe, responsible development of the energy resources within our borders. The development of the Utica Shale has increased job growth and lowered unemployment. It has helped small businesses grow, allowed our communities to thrive, and has brought manufacturing back to long dormant regions in our state.

And it’s just the beginning. We are currently in the leasing and exploration phase here in Ohio, with expanding development taking off in the coming years. And, with projections of over 200,000 Ohio jobs being created and supported by Ohio’s oil and gas industry through 2015, the role of energy in our state’s future has never been of greater importance.

With this in mind, we ask you to please consider Ohio’s energy future amongst your top priorities when you cast your ballot today.  Should you be looking to see where your candidate stands on the issue of Ohio’s natural gas development, please be sure to check out Ohio Votes: Utica Shale and the 2012 Election.

I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them to vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy — to speak no evil of the person they voted against, and to take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side. – John Wesley, October 6, 1774

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Tags: 2012 Election, Barack Obama, Energy Policy, Energy Security, Mitt Romney, Ohio Utica Shale

2012 Candidate Archive: Energy Jobs a Driving Force in Ohio Economic Recovery

Monday, November 5th, 2012 | 0 Comments

*Editor’s note: This column was originally published on April 19, 2012

Here in energy security for the foreseeable future. The Utica Shale formation, along with many other shale formations from coast to coast, provides us this great opportunity. All we have to do is harness it.  And that is what I am fighting to do in Congress: provide our state and nation a unique opportunity to return to prosperity while protecting our environment.

This is an ongoing battle, of course, as some heavy-handed federal agencies are adding new layers of regulations on the energy sector, pushing prices to unaffordable levels.

For families and small businesses here in Ohio, higher energy prices have real consequences. Everything from their daily commute to the grocery bill is getting more expensive.  And higher energy prices mean fewer jobs.

Vice President Biden recently said that “our energy policy’s the best it’s ever been.” But, a true “all of the above” strategy includes removing government barriers to energy production, stopping policies that drive up gasoline prices, and helping create new American jobs.  After all affordable energy is the lifeblood of job creation and economic recovery.

Today we are knocking at the door of a brighter energy future; one that promises abundant, secure, and cheaper North American supplies, as long as Washington doesn’t create artificial obstacles that will stand in the way.

Across our great state we are beginning to see a the impacts of oil and gas exploration in areas that were once inaccessible, but now are not due to advances in technology that are now leading to the development of vast new supplies of affordable and reliable energy resources.

One reason Ohio has been successful is the fact that our state passed strong, commonsense regulations for the oil and gas industry which are among some of the most stringent and effective regulations in the country. In fact, just last year STRONGER, a federally supported peer review group including state regulators, environmental groups and other stakeholders lauded our regulations.  Ohio’s regulations are a sound example of strong regulations that adhere to common sense.

Already, the Utica Shale has led to an incredible expansion in job creation and increased economic opportunity throughout Ohio.  Last week, I helped organize a Job Fair in New Philadelphia, where companies like Chesapeake Energy, Timken Steel, MarkWest Energy and Purple Land Management were actively looking to hire Ohioans for good-paying jobs in the oil and natural gas industry.  Ohio has been waiting for these types of jobs for decades and it took the Utica Shale formation, to bring them here.

The best part of it all?  These jobs are located in areas of Ohio that need them most.

Of course, what we are seeing is only the beginning. A recent study projected the creation of over 200,000 jobs – and the generated revenue of over $12 billion in annual salaries and personal income – all linked to Utica Shale development.

Since the development of the Utica Shale began, Ohio’s unemployment rate has decreased in earnest from approximately from approximately 8.9% in the summer of 2011 to 7.7 % today. Clearly the Utica has the potential to put people back to work and restore our economy.

Our state has the commitment and the proper regulatory structure in place to safely extract our homegrown energy sources, and in doing so we can return our state to prosperity and make Ohio the driving force in a true “ all of the above” energy policy. For my part, I am committed to be a leader in ensuring our state and nation is able to move forward to take advantage of this once in a generation opportunity.

Congressman Bob Gibbs is the U.S. Representative for the Eighteenth District of Ohio and was sworn into office January 5, 2011.

Tags: Chesapeake, Congressman Bob Gibbs, Energy in Depth - Ohio, Energy jobs, Energy Security, MarkWest Energy, New Philadelphia, OOGEEP, Purple Land Management, Timken Steel, Utica Shale, Vice President Biden

Ohio Energy Production: Lower Costs, Job Creation, Stronger Economy

Monday, October 29th, 2012 | 0 Comments

As I travel around Central Ohio talking to families and small business owners, I hear three common concerns:  the increasing cost of doing business or making ends meet, the high number of unemployed workers, and the troubled economy.   There are no “silver bullets” to solving these issues, but in Ohio, the Utica Shale Reserve is providing unmatched opportunities for families and businesses.   It’s creating jobs and helping our state’s unemployment rate remain below the national average, bringing an estimated increase of $12.3 billion in gross state product into Ohio’s economy, and enhancing Ohio’s reputation as a great place to do business.

While costs are rising for families and businesses – grocery bills are increasing, health care premiums are going up, gasoline prices remain high– Ohioans are already seeing the benefits of harnessing the resources of it’s Utica Shale reserve.  Using hydraulic fracturing – a technology that’s been around since the 1940s – to access fuels like natural gas from far beneath the earth’s surface, American wells, like those being drilled in Ohio, are boosting the nation’s domestic supply of natural gas.  Increasing supply means we’re depending less on energy sources from other countries, and we’re lowering energy costs here at home.  According to a recent industry study, the increased production of American natural gas has lowered costs, saving Ohio residential customers about $214 in 2010 alone.  The average commercial customer saved $1,366 while an average industrial customer saved nearly $87,000 in 2010.  That means families were paying less, and just as important, commercial businesses and manufacturers had a lower cost of doing business.  An increased natural gas supply frees up dollars that companies can use to grow, expand and hire.  In fact, the lower the cost of American energy, the more global manufacturers may see the United States as an attractive place to set up production facilities.

But it’s not just the lower cost of energy that can spur job creation, the business of extracting these resources produces jobs, as well.  An Ohio Oil & Gas Energy Education Program study indicated that Ohio’s oil and natural gas industries supported and contributed to nearly 13,000 jobs, amounting to annual salaries and personal income of $793 million in 2010 alone.  The same study estimated that the industry will create and support more than 200,000 jobs in Ohio.  For those struggling to find work, these are good-paying jobs, located in parts of the state that have been hardest hit by the recession.  I’ve heard first-hand about hiring efforts from energy companies and their expectations that the industry will continue to grow.

Ohio has a long history with the oil and natural gas industry dating back to 1860.  Technology makes resources in the Utica Shale Reserve accessible, bringing us to a new era in domestic energy production.  Ohio must be vigilant at maintaining a proper combination of oversight to ensure safe and responsible energy development.  Development of Ohio’s Utica Shale Reserve increases domestic energy, making our nation less dependent on foreign oil, as well as lowering energy costs for families and businesses.  It will continue to create good-paying jobs and boost our state’s economy.  While many continue to struggle, Ohio’s resources are already providing for a better future.

Congressman Pat Tiberi is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Representing Ohio’s 12th Congressional district, the Congressman is a member of the House Ways & Means Committee.

 

For more information: http://tiberi.house.gov/

About Congressman Tiberi: http://tiberi.house.gov/biography/

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Tags: Congressman Tiberi, Continental Economics, Energy In Depth, Energy jobs, Energy Security, Ohio, OOGEEP, Utica Shale

Ohio’s Future Powered by Ohio Energy

Thursday, August 9th, 2012 | 6 Comments

Lower energy prices. That’s what many folks first think when they hear about expanded oil and natural gas production in Ohio.

And they are right. Washington can’t repeal the laws of supply and demand. With more supply that is more reliable, it will help keep prices down.

But lower prices aren’t the only benefit the American people will reap by developing secure, reliable and affordable domestic energy. Expanded domestic production will also create jobs and lower costs for manufacturers.

We’re already seeing the job-creating potential of expanded production across Ohio as a result of the shale plays in the eastern part of our state, called the Marcellus and Utica Shale.

In recent decades, through hard work, risk-taking and investment, the private sector has developed techniques which make it possible and economical to recover this type of oil and gas that’s deep underground.

At a time when there are 443,000 unemployed Ohioans, energy production is set to create thousands of jobs, from the drill sites down the supply chains, across many sectors of our economy. A study from university researchers found that the Utica Shale alone created more than 2,000 jobs in 2011 and is on track to create another 12,000 jobs in 2012.

These tens of thousands of jobs are just the beginning. One industry study says that more than 200,000 Ohio jobs will be created and supported by 2015 as a result of Utica Shale exploration in Ohio.

One sector that’s benefitting is manufacturing. Ohio’s manufacturers make a lot of the pipes and pumps and other materials used in energy production. The steel companies in northeast Ohio are expanding in order to keep up with pipe orders from the oil and gas industry.

Ohio is ahead of some other states in providing a proper regulatory framework, and in my view has done a good job ensuring that these drilling technologies are being used properly. We need to continue to ensure Ohio rules are working to protect our communities, but we also have to be sure new, one-size-fits-all Washington rules aren’t imposed on Ohio that could stop this exciting potential for new jobs and a stronger Ohio economy before it can really get started.

Tags: American Iron and Steel Institute, Energy in Depth - Ohio, Energy Security, Marcellus Shale, NAM, National Association of Manufacturers, natural gas, Senator Rob Portman, US Steel, Utica Shale

Our Nation’s next Independence could be Energy Independence

Thursday, July 5th, 2012 | 0 Comments

Yesterday was a day that most folks enjoy hot dogs on the grill, fireworks in the night sky and time with their families. Some may talk of old war stories or walk in community parades or attend neighborhood events that celebrate the spirit of  Independence Day.  It is a day of reflection on the freedoms we enjoy thanks to those who declared our independence from foreign influence.

Of course declaring independence of any kind requires a transformational moment.   For our nation’s independence that moment  was the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Today, we are on the doorstep of being able to declare energy independence thanks to increased energy production provided by shale development.

The first question is how does energy independence and energy security happen? That happens by taking an all of the above approach to energy. As we like to say in Ohio “any community that consumes energy should produce it.” Many of Ohio’s communities have a long history with natural resources development. Providing clean burning, abundant and affordable natural gas is how Ohio can contribute to the overall national energy picture.

Transformation and advances in time tested technology is what is happening in Ohio and in other states across the country. As Tom Stewart pointed out earlier this year, the resources being developed  in Ohio can have profound implications on our nation’s energy security. Specifically,  in addition to being used right here they can also supply refineries on the East Coast that have generally had to contract their oil supplies from points very far abroad including places  such as Nigeria, Russia, Venezuela, Angola, Congo, Saudi Arabia, and even Syria.

As we continue to responsibly develop the Utica and Point Pleasant formations, much of the oil we produce here (but can’t use here) is expected to be sold to our neighbors in the East, introducing a new source of light, sweet and abundant oil that will directly compete for market share with barrels tankered-in from OPEC, the Middle East and other unfriendly regimes.

This is one small, Buckeye centered, example of why some analysts are encouraged about the United States energy future and have declared that U.S. energy independence is possible as soon as 2020.

Necessity is the mother of all inventions. The United States needs to get to a place where we are energy secure. Every president since Richard Nixon has talked about moving us as a nation in that direction. For the first time in generations today’s population is not only seeing that happen but we are the ones making it happen.

July 4^th is a great time to kick off having a national conversation about security both from a national defense and energy point of view. However the conversation must not stop on the 4th,  it must be talked about on July 5th and everyday moving forward.

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Tags: Crude Oil, EID-Ohio, Energy, Energy in Depth - Ohio, Energy Independence, energy production, Energy Security, July 4th, natural gas, Ohio, OOGA, OOGEEP, President Richard Nixon, ShaleNet, Utica Shale

*Video* Energy in Depth-Ohio Interview with Congressman Bob Latta

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 | 2 Comments

Energy in Depth – Ohio had the opportunity to speak with Congressman Bob Latta of Bowling Green to discuss Utica Shale development in Ohio.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Subcommittees on Environment and Economy and Health, Congressman Latta  is acutely aware of the incredible potential this homegrown resource provides for Ohio and it’s economic revival.

What we can do with natural gas and oil production again in Ohio is create tens of thousands of jobs, not just in that industry but across the state. -Congressman Bob Latta

The Congressman is correct – these jobs move well beyond roughnecks and roustabouts. The development of oil and gas in Ohio has a far reaching impact on job creation; upstream, midstream and downstream – with over 204,000 jobs created or supported by 2015. It’s something we have already seen with expanding businesses in the steel and manufacturing industries.

Not far from Bowling Green, Lorain is home to Republic Steel. In recent months, the company announced the investment of $85.2 million dollars to operate a plant designed to recycle scrap metal and turn it into steel. This project alone is bringing 450 new, well paying jobs. Of course, this is not the only company bringing about a revival of Ohio’s steel industry.

On the opposite side of the state, as far south as Warren and Montgomery counties, construction companies are seeing new employment opportunities and new business thanks to shale development. In fact, statewide construction is on the rise due to the increase in demand emanating, in part, from the oil and gas sector.

It’s no wonder, then, that as Ohio is leading the nation in job growth, the manufacturing and construction industries are leading the charge.

We want to have as much energy as possible in this country, because again, when you get 46% of your oil, every day is being imported in this country, something is wrong.  We can keep the money, we can keep the jobs here and make sure we secure ourselves not only in area of having energy independence, but also national security. – Congressman Bob Latta

These benefits are not limited to Ohioans. The development of the Utica Shale, coupled with the shale plays across the country, is a significant part of the overall U.S. energy picture.

With the President’s shale shout out during the State of the Union, and in highlighting the ability for our onshore resources to provide Americans with energy for the next 100 years, it is clear the continued development of shale resources plays a large role in moving towards national energy security and self-sufficiency, a goal sought by every American President since Richard Nixon.

What you want to have is very good state regulations, because how we are going to harvest this great resource we have here in Ohio will be completely different than the way it is being done in Oklahoma or Colorado, or Wyoming, Pennsylvania or New York. So we want to start right here at home, and everything I have heard, everything I’ve seen that Ohio is out there in front of this. -Congressman Bob Latta

With the development of our natural resources in the Utica Shale here in Ohio, and the development of the various shale formations nationwide, we can lift our economic fortunes, and achieve energy security. The congressman emphasizes this fact.

What is also clear is that we can achieve these goals while remaining good stewards of our environment. There is not a choice – we can develop our energy resources safely and effectively, and we’ve been doing it in Ohio for over a century.

Ohio’s regulatory system is one of the most stringent and respected in the country, and has been praised by peer-review groups. These strict regulations allow the state to benefit from oil and gas development while protecting our environment.

 

 

Tags: Congressman Latta, Energy in Depth - Ohio, Energy jobs, Energy Policy, Energy Security, Keystone XL Pipeline, ODNR, Ohio, Utica Shale

*Video* EID-Ohio Interview with Congressman Bill Johnson

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 | 0 Comments

Back in December, Congressman Bill Johnson shared with us his vision of Ohio’s development of our energy resources serving as a catalyst for a return to American exceptionalism.

EID-Ohio had the opportunity to again speak with the eastern Ohio representative to discuss the potential these resources bring not only to his district, but the state and nation as a whole.

With the Appalachian region of the state becoming the focal point for energy development, Congressman Johnson has had a front row seat to watch the opportunities the shale play is already bringing to Ohioans- and a great view of what’s coming around the corner.

“I don’t think we can underestimate the potential for long-term prosperity for the people of Appalachia Ohio,” states Mr. Johnson, noting the region “will be on the front of everybody’s minds” as the growth of development accelerates:

“The rest of the world is going to be looking at us.”

With the shale play still in its infancy, Ohio is already witnessing a resurgence in long lost or dormant industries including steel and manufacturing. The loss of manufacturing jobs is not unique to Ohio, and its return here has larger implications in a national economic recovery. This, as they say, is where the cows eat the cabbage, a fact not lost on the Congressman:

“They’re gonna be talking about eastern and southeastern Ohio in Beijing. We’re going to be putting China out of business!”

The rich and vast resources Ohio holds in the Utica and Marcellus shale puts our state right at the center of a responsible U.S. energy plan, the congressman notes – a plan for energy security that has eluded every president and congress for the past several decades.

“As we develop a national energy policy of putting America first, of energy security and independence, its going to put eastern and south eastern Ohio at the hub, at the center of that activity.”

Securing America’s energy and economic future through responsible development of our resources, which also put people back to work, should be among the nation’s highest priorities. Also atop that list is taking care of those who take care of us: our nation’s veterans.

As a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel himself, Congressman Johnson is working with industry to bring energy employment opportunities to returning veterans across the state:

“We have an obligation as a nation to get them back into the work force for the sacrifices they have made to protected America’s freedoms and liberties around the world.”

The congressman continues to work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on clearing up red-tape that delays employment opportunities for veterans, including an exemption on required training for truck and tractor drivers – a field many of these men and women have already had training in.

This May, the Congressman is facilitating this effort by hosting a jobs forum for veterans in East Liverpool. Many natural gas companies are already looking to hire these dedicated men and women. Chesapeake Energy, for example, was recently honored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring Our Heroes program as one of the top 25 American companies with an exceptional record of hiring veterans.

As we continue to watch the positive impact that shale development is bringing to Ohio, we can look towards the opportunity it presents for the years ahead. All of Ohio can certainly share in the Congressman’s excitement for our future, and indeed share in his sentiment that we are witnessing this generation’s Space Race right here in our back yard.

Tags: Appalachia, Bill Johnson, chesapeake energy, Energy Policy, Energy Security, Hiring our Heroes, manufacturing, Marcellus Shale, National Association of Manufacturers, Steel, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Utica Shale, Veterans, Youngstown