This week, President Obama will travel to northeastern Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York State. The President, and his administration, recognize the clear benefits tied to the safe development of clean-burning American natural gas.

We welcome the President, and Vice President Biden, to our region this week to see firsthand how Pennsylvania’s natural gas production is leading the way for our nation, helping to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs while ensuring that our environment is protected and enhanced.

At the same time, we hope that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo takes note of these positive developments and will allow common sense – and actual science – to inform his policymaking decisions with regard to responsible shale development in his state. This from today’s Democrat and Chronicle:

Kathryn Klaber, CEO of the Pittsburgh-based Marcellus Shale Coalition, said Cuomo could stand to learn from Obama. “If Governor Cuomo is serious about growing New York’s economy, creating manufacturing jobs and leveraging clean-burning natural gas to power his state, he would be wise to embrace shale development just as the president and Mayor Bloomberg have,” Klaber said.

And here’s what the President and his administration have been saying about this historic opportunity:

  • President Obama: “We produce more natural gas than any country on Earth. … We’ve got to keep creating good jobs in manufacturing. … We’ve got to tap into this natural gas revolution that’s bringing energy costs down in this country, which means manufacturers now want to locate here because they’re thinking that we’ve got durable, reliable supplies of energy.” (Speech, 7/25/13)
  • President Obama: “We produce more natural gas than any country on Earth. … We want to make sure that — we’re going to create strategies to make sure that good jobs in wind and solar and natural gas that are lowering costs and, at the same time, reducing dangerous carbon pollution happen right here in the United States.” (Speech, 7/24/13)
  • President Obama: “After years of talking about it, we are finally poised to control our own energy future. We produce more natural gas than ever before – and nearly everyone’s energy bill is lower because of it. … The natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. We need to encourage that.” (2013 State of the Union address)
  • Energy Sec. Moniz: Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz told reporters Thursday morning that the process of natural gas extraction called fracking was safe and should be used, provided it was properly regulated. “I still have not seen any evidence of fracking per se contaminating groundwater,” he said. (Washington Examiner, 8/2/13)
  • “EPA’s McCarthy: ‘Responsible’ gas production key to climate strategy”: Environmental Protection Agency chief Gina McCarthy said natural-gas production is a major piece of Obama administration efforts to combat global warming. “Responsible development of natural gas is an important part of our work to curb climate change and support a robust clean energy market at home,” she said Wednesday at a speech in Colorado, according to prepared remarks. (The Hill, 8/14/13)
  • Interior Sec. Jewell: “The Bakken boom is a perfect example of how new and improved technology is allowing industry to tap previously inaccessible or unknown energy resources to create jobs, decrease our dependence on foreign oil, and grow our economy. As drilling methods and technologies advance, we have an obligation to ensure that energy production is happening in a safe and responsible way for the environment and for communities,” said Jewell. “Working hand in hand with industry, we have an opportunity to use innovative technologies to capture natural gas to power more homes with cleaner American-made energy, while reducing methane emissions and cutting carbon pollution.” (Release, 8/7/13)
  • DOE Study Reconfirms Fracturing’s Safety: A landmark federal study on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, shows no evidence that chemicals from the natural gas drilling process moved up to contaminate drinking water aquifers at a western Pennsylvania drilling site, the Department of Energy told The Associated Press. (AP, 7/19/13)