Don C. Brunell: Cheap Gas Fueling Petrochemical Expansion

In Washington, an abundance of low cost, reliable hydropower spurs economic growth. It is a key reason why energy intensive industries locate here.

Today, our nation has a profusion of carbon-based energy. Unlike a decade ago when we relied upon imported natural gas and crude oil, fracking technology put us on the path to be the world’s largest producer of processed petroleum.

While fracked gas and oil are a boom to America’s economy, they are a big problem for traditional oil rich nations like Saudi Arabia and Russia.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported: “Aramco, one of the world’s most...