Obama Discovers Shale Gas

This endorsement runs against every energy policy pursued by the Obama Administration for three years

Canada Free Press
January 18, 2012

A re-election campaign is a terrible thing to waste, and this year’s race is already producing miraculous changes at the Obama White House:

The latest example of a bear walking on its hind legs is the President’s new embrace of … natural gas from shale. The catch is that this endorsement runs against every energy policy pursued by the Obama Administration for three years. It’s certainly smart politics for Mr. Obama to distance himself from the anti-fossil fuels obsessives, and no doubt his political advisers are hoping it helps this fall in the likes of Ohio and Pennsylvania. On the other hand, this could be a one-year wonder, and if he wins Mr. Obama might revert to form in 2013.
- Editorial, The Wall Street Journal, 17 January 2012

A shale-driven glut of natural gas has cut electricity prices for the U.S. power industry by 50 percent and reduced investment in costlier sources of energy. With abundant new supplies of gas making it the cheapest option for new power generation, the largest U.S. wind-energy producer, NextEra Energy Inc., has shelved plans for new U.S. wind projects next year and Exelon Corp. called off plans to expand two nuclear plants. Michigan utility CMS Energy Corp. canceled a $2 billion coal plant after deciding it wasn’t financially viable in a time of “low natural-gas prices linked to expanded shale-gas supplies,” according to a company statement.
- Julie Johnsson and Mark Chediak, Bloomberg, 17 January 2012

The huge, belching smokestacks of electric power plants have long symbolized air pollution woes. But a shift is under way: More and more electric plants around the nation are being fuelled by natural gas, which is far cleaner than coal, the traditional fuel.
- Kevin Begos, Associated Press, 16 January 2012

This article was posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at 2:54 am

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