Shale gas dominates energy efficiency conference

By John Funk, The Plain Dealer

on September 25, 2012 at 8:20 PM, updated October 04, 2012 at 12:01 PM

AKRON, Ohio -- The steady development of Ohio's shale gas is pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the state's economy and creating a manufacturing renaissance.

That has some questioning why Ohio should continue on its course to mandate electrical energy efficiency and require power companies to embrace renewable energy such as wind and solar - all of which cut into utility sales and drive up rates.

These two themes dominated the seventh annual Northern Ohio Energy Management Conference Tuesday at the John S. Knight Convention Center.

The news about the shale gas was all good - 359 permits issued, 129 wells drilled, 27 producing and 41 drilling rigs now in the state.

The Ohio Shale Coalition, represented by Linda Woggon, executive vice president of the Ohio Chmber of Commerce, is still projecting that by the end 2014 nearly 2000 shale gas wells will have been drilled and that billions will have been spent in processing facilities.

Woggon said more than 65,580 jobs will have been created and that the total economic impact will amount to about $9.6 billion per year.

To read the entire article go to: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2012/09/shale_gas_dominates_energy_eff.html#

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