By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
Thursday, April 23 U.S. Representative Gary Palmer (R from Hoover) as a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, participated in a hearing entitled “Hydraulic Fracturing: Banning Proven Technologies on Possibilities Instead of Probabilities.”
Following the hearing Rep. Palmer said that there are no confirmed instances of fracking polluting ground water and not demonstrated link between fracking and earthquakes.
Congressman Palmer said in a statement, “One of my first priorities in Congress is getting our fiscal house in order. Between 2007-2013, the economy has seen increased gains of $74 billion per year as a result of fracking. During this same period, consumer gas bills dropped by $13 billion in a result of increased fracking. This is just the beginning. Advances in fracking technology have made America an energy superpower. Accessing our energy reserves must be a major part of our economic recovery plan.”
Rep. Palmer continued, “As the evidence at the hearing demonstrated, there are no confirmed instances of fracking polluting ground water and no demonstrated link between earthquakes and fracking, and advances in fracking technology has resulted in a 73% reduction in methane emissions since 2011. I encourage Congress to work toward making safe utilization of our natural resources a priority by lifting artificial barriers that prevent development.”
The pro fossil fuels group Energy Citizen said in a statement on Facebook, “Fracking has put America on the path to energy independence! We can’t risk this progress with bad energy policy.”
The Institute for Energy Research (IER) wrote: “…a new study has found that hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling applied to shale oil formations saved consumers between $63 and $248 billion in 2013 (and a cumulative savings between $165 and $624 billion.) Without these technologies, international crude oil prices would have averaged $122 to $150 per barrel– $12 to $40 a barrel more or between $0.29 and $0.94 per gallon more on gasoline and other refined products. President Obama’s insistence that “we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices” has been proven dead wrong.”
The IER continued, “The U.S. energy renaissance has been driven by innovations in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. About 48 percent of U.S. oil, condensate and natural gas liquids production in 2013 came from shale formations produced using these technologies—up from 11 percent of U.S. production in 2008. Total production of these fuels from shale oil formations in 2013 was 4.78 million barrels per day. Nearly every barrel of new U.S. oil production is attributable to the use of horizontal drilling and +hydraulic fracturing technologies.”
Energy Citizens wrote that they, “Have been steadfast supporters of fracking, even in the face of intense pressure to shut it down. We need to keep up the good work to ensure that fracking remains a viable way to access our nation’s abundant energy resources. If we do, consumers will be seeing the benefits for decades to come.”
Congressman Gary Palmer represents Alabama’s Sixth Congressional District.
