Why Albany Should Start Paying Attention!
by Jennifer K. Levine

I’m posting this entry on the Capital Business Blog to raise awareness about natural gas development of the Marcellus Shale in Central New York and the Southern Tier. You will occasionally find an article or editorial about drilling for natural gas in the Marcellus Shale, but it doesn’t appear that state leaders in Albany are paying very much attention. They should - development of the vast natural gas reserve in the Marcellus Shale is one of Upstate’s best hopes for economic recovery.

The Marcellus Shale reserve covers 95,000 square miles (DOE-Modern Shale Gas Development in the U.S.: A Primer) and includes New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky and bits of Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee. It represents one of the largest natural gas reserves in the world. Natural gas found in shale exists in pores and fractures and is released very slowly. Geologists have known about the enormous gas reserves for years but until recently it wasn’t possible or economically feasible to extract the gas. Recent advances in the technology of horizontal drilling and hydrofracing have made drilling for natural gas in shale profitable. These technologies have been used with great success in the Barnett Shale formation in Texas and the local economies and the state have benefited enormously from the development.

There are so many issues associated with the Marcellus Shale including: the environmental concerns, proximity to market, JOBS, technology of drilling, geology of shale, regulatory issues, legislative measures, coalition news, and, oh, did I mention JOBS! I hope to start a conversation so that when drilling actually begins we all have a little background.

Here on the Capital Business Blog, I intend to provide links to useful background materials and current events and articles from around the state. I look forward to an exciting dialog as the state moves closer to developing the vast Marcellus Shale reserve.

Thank you, and let me know what you think.

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Jennifer Levine has been invited by The Business Council to be a guest contributing author to the Capital Business Blog to enhance our readers understanding of the Marcellus shale issue and the job creating opportunities that surround it.

Jennifer Levine, recently worked at the New York State Assembly for a member whose district includes five counties in the Marcellus play where she gained exposure to this issue. Previously, she worked in government relations for MCI Communications in Washington, D.C. Jennifer can be reached at jklevine@nycap.rr.com.