An issue in the energy industry in America is the differences between federal and state laws regarding energy. How much should the federal government be involved in controlling how states produce their own energy, and supply energy to their citizens? That complex question has political questions that remain open as energy problems become more complex.
Energy policy issues are among the most difficult ones to untangle in a modern economy. Federal policies encourage the use of renewable resources, while at the same time the national government may seek power to regulate traditional energy products that states have controlled for decades. One prime example of this is hydraulic fracking. Currently, individual states mostly control policies about how operators use technology to extract natural gas and oil by pumping chemicals into the ground, and extracting the chemicals along with the energy products.
There are concerns with fracking itself, and whether it will help the United States avert an impending energy crisis. Fracking has been hailed as a “bridge” solution. However, there are long-term dangers that are hard to predict, such as if the chemically tainted water will remain underground or begin to filter into rivers and streams.
While some states see hydraulic fracking as a method for the United States to be less dependent on other countries for energy, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to become more involved in regulating fracking. The EPA has a mandate to ensure Americans have access to safe drinking water, and it plans to release a public study on hydraulic fracturing in the future. States that regulate hydraulic fracking also face legal challenges from local governments who have safety and policy concerns.
SOURCES: http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2252418/davos_fracking_wont_avert_energy_crisis.html
http://energyindepth.org/national/how-anti-fracking-activists-deny-science-water-contamination/
I think the federal and state governments need to work together to ensure reasonable regulation of energy across the country. Fracking is relatively new and set to expand greatly and there are still a lot of uncertainties about it. It should not be allowed to expand completely unregulated as we do not yet know all the effects it can have on the environment.
I know that this is a huge issue with anyone working in any kind of environmental capacity. My Mom works at an environmental testing firm and she gets a lot of projects across her desk that deal exactly with this issue. And frankly the prospects do not look good as far as groundwater and other run-off heavy areas go. This might be something we need to stop messing with before it starts to mess with us.
The difference between federal and state law is something that I can never seem to understand. Is the federal government imposing a regulation or not? Can state overrule it or not? With regard to fracking, I think natural gas has huge potential for the US energy debate. What I am personally worried about is that we will extract so quickly, the effects won’t be noticeable until they are irreversible.
I think that it should be left up to the states to decide what kind of energy production they choose, since every state is different. That being said, I think that Pennsylvania really needs to cut down on fracking and we need to elect a new governor that will enforce that.